ELFRIEDE
by IflarFan
Summary: Mommark's most powerful creation, Elfriede winds up in the Underworld, unaware of her origin. Tribes figure out that there is another mysterious powerful source in the middle of the Mipedian desert. A new war is launched in Perim as they strive for power, and Chaotic players use lies and deception among them to get what they what. But with all this power, will Perim be destroyed?
1. Chapter 1: Creation

CHAPTER 1: Creation

A dim light flickered on a table.  
The stars nor the moon shone no light that night from outside the closed window. It shuddered.

Upon the black table, scattered books and utensils lay spread. But in its center, laid the conception of what could have been, the destruction of Perim.  
The tattered page was covered in a dark violet ink, which spread the layout of a dangerous weapon.

It was a very perilous task, but it had to be done.

The room was quiet, except for the constant pounding at the window from the harsh cold wind.  
The dim lantern flickered rapidly.

Then the dark door slowly opened, producing a large, low, heavy creak.

The light from the hall shown in the room. A silhouette appeared.  
As it came closer, it revealed two strands of hair and cupped down ears underneath each, rings dangling from them.  
When the light disappeared, an enormous bang was heard.

The dark figure sauntered towards the faintly lit workspace. Underneath an eyepiece, it scanned the draft.  
The mysterious figure wished that it had not come to this.  
"But it was his orders," it said, "there's nothing I can do about it."

Large green hands gathered the layout and a few other pages as well, and turned towards the other door. And, after a pause, opened it.  
Like the first door, this one also produced a large creak. The figure opened it very slowly and cautiously, so that the sound lessened.  
After setting down the documents on a small table, the shadow turned towards the wall in the dark. It placed its hands on a cold metal bar, and heaved the lever down.  
White fluorescent lights banged all across the room.  
They revealed many capsules on the side, all contained with a mysterious fluid, bubbling towards the surface. In the middle of the room, a large metal table, shining brightly. And behind it, a much large capsule than the others on the side, and in front of it, a chair in the back of a table with many screens upon it.

Once shone in the light, the green Creature looked around cautiously, taking the drafts. He started for the table, his violet cape flowing behind him. Once he halted at the table, he laid out all the drafts upon it.  
He stared at them.  
He thought to himself over and over again, I don't want to do this, I don't want to do this, I don't want to do this, It's too risky, I don't want to do this, It's too dangerous.

"But I must," he had to say, "it was under his orders. If I don't, I'll fail him. But, if I make a mistake. . . ."  
He shivered at the thought.

He sighed heavily and studied his plans carefully. He saw all the ink that was carefully placed upon them.  
He went towards another smaller table and gathered his collection of Mugic and containers with Mugical substances in them specially for this project.  
He collected his tools from the other table and placed everything on silver.

Everything was ready.

He sighed again and said to himself, "I cannot stop. Not for any distraction. I cannot afford to make any mistakes."  
His stomach was full from a large dinner meal, and his thirst was quenched. He planned everything for a very long period of time, for if one mistake was made, he would be exiled, or worse.

He tightened his eyepiece and adjusted it.

Following the designs on paper, he started with the body. He started with the structure, using remains of dead Creatures and mechanical copies of bones. Next he made internal organs, using Mugical energy to keep them all together, and to make them powerful enough to absorb shock. He did create a heart, though, so that this one wouldn't be immortal, as the rest. This heart would control the flow of blood and Mugical energy.  
After the insides were finished, he created the shell. Using mostly Mugical energies, the skin was molded together, and the color of it turned slightly pale due to the Mugical energy outweighing the blood. He was upset by this, for now he thought that he was creating something that resembled a human. He had to change this quickly. He tried another method, but failed.  
When the shell was complete, two Mugical symbols glowed on each shoulder, and so did the markings under closed eyes.  
He then added ears, and they were long, thin, elf ears, good for hearing.  
On the head, he added red hair, putting every single one into the skull. After that, he was exhausted and needed a break. Right before he rose from the table he screamed at himself, "I cannot afford any mistakes!"  
So he sunk down into the chair again and concentrated on the creation.  
The next part was the eyes. He walked to the cabinet on the other side of the room and gathered eye balls that were once decomposed but regenerated by Mugic.  
He carefully placed them on the table. He had to choose carefully, for each eye color has a different reaction to light.  
He checked his plans again but he had forgotten to add an eye color.

"Yellow," he said, "It is stronger than the rest."  
So he placed the two eye balls into the empty sockets.

Everything was almost complete.

"Except for power," he said.  
He gathered the rest of the Mugic and the containers.

He used them all at once and nearly fainted out of exhaustion.

When he saw that the Creature was done, he wiped his forehead and stared at it, hoping that there were no errors in his work.

"I'm done," he said at last. "Done with. . . . Elfriede."  
He carried his creation and put it in the capsule.  
He set the timer and checked all the screens, which showed all the happenings on the inside.  
Then he set it to the correct temperature and pressure. He yawned.

"Nothing's going to happen," he comforted himself, "it's all right. The creation will be a success for the Overworld."  
And he folded his arms upon the table and set his head in them. He started to doze off.

Outside the castle, booms and bangs were heard. Firearms being shot. Mugic being casted. On the battlefield, guards in blue were shooting at invisible spies.  
"Follow me!" one of the invisibles yelled and the guards didn't know which way to shoot. They were waiting for backup with Spectral Viewers. The guards halted their fire, and figured out that the thieves were gone.

Behind a bush, the two invisibles stopped using energy and revealed their true nature. The Mipedians looked at each other.  
"That was a close one!" the brown one said.  
"Why are we even here again?" the other one asked.  
"Don't you remember? I heard there was this special Mugic that could overpower any enemy!"  
"How?"  
"I don't know, but I want to find out!"  
They snickered as they headed towards the walls.

"FREEZE!" one of the guards yelled.  
The Mipedians jumped and stared at the army.  
"Two Mipedians aren't enough to stop us! Just give up! You're hopeless!" he said, pointing his gun.  
"Oh really?" the brown one hissed, the other one snickering.

The guards were shot, blood and limbs flying. The others stepped back in fear.  
The Mipedians stood there the whole time, not even wincing a blink.  
The guards looked all around for the assassins, but more and more blood spread.  
They started to retreat, not knowing what was going on.

"Silly Creatures!" a Mipedian laughed.

"In the trees!" one of the guards pointed but fell to the ground quickly a second later.  
The guards started to shoot but their fires failed due to the long range.

Soon more and more retreated.

Retreated towards the castle.

"Ha! Ha!" the Mipedians in the trees laughed, revealing themselves as the last one retreated.  
"These Battlegear came in handy!" one of them said.  
"Alright," interrupted the brown one, "let's head towards the castle. The plan was to create a diversion outside the wall while we sneak in on the other side. That way we can also get to the Library faster. Long distance shooters, you are going to head out onto the roof. Shoot anyone who tries to get in our way, and you can communicate us if there's a problem." He held up his communicator.  
Then on the screen Mudeenu appeared, screaming at them why they're taking so long, and the Mipedian quickly just shut it off.

They headed out, until one of them asked, "Hey, where were the guards retreating? I don't think they went towards the city. Don't you think that that's kind of weird?"  
The leader looked at him surprisingly, forgetting that.  
"That's right," he said, "You!" He pointed towards a Mipedian with maps bundled underneath his belt. "Where were they headed?"  
"Right!" he responded and quickly pulled out a map.  
"They headed towards some sort of castle!" he pointed out.  
The Mipedians looked at each other in shock.  
"What if," one asked, "they're getting reinforcements?"  
"What if they come back and surprise attack?"

The leader looked cautiously around, wondering why they would run that direction.  
"Let's go back," he decided, "It's too risky if they come back with reinforcements."

They headed towards the castle, and they were correct indeed.  
Spying on them, they saw the Overworld guards communicating with Maxxor, telling him that Mipedians are heading towards the wall, and they need reinforcements so that they can launch a surprise attack on their backs.  
"Alright," Maxxor's voice said, "they are on their way." And he screamed at Intress but was cut off.

The Mipedians stared at each other. What could have happened if they didn't figure this out?

"We shouldn't have let you live!" one of the Mipedians yelled out.

The guards fired and the Mipedians fired back. It was a long, enduring fight that went on for hours and hours.  
One of the long range shooters then shot for a group of guards. The dodged the attack, and the castle shook.  
Smoke came out from where the large bullet hit, and the wall cracked.

From inside the capsule, the shook disturbed the pressure and the capsule fell over and the unknown liquid oozed out from the crack.

Its eyelids opened.

Such as an infant cries at birth, tears dripped down her face in pain, from a little bit of bloodshed from the broken glass, along with the liquid.

She struggled out of the capsule, cracking the glass with her power.

She crawled out, and stood.

She looked around curiously at the laboratory in the dark.

She jumped at the sound of a snore.

Then, she went closer to the sleeping inventor.

What is that, she thought.

She looked at her hands.  
What am I, she also thought.

She walked on, and she opened a door on the other side of the room.  
From inside their cages, Creatures moaned and roared.  
In fear, she ran towards the door on the other side of that room, and saw stairs leading down to the main entrance.

She tried to proceed further, but lost her balance and fell.  
At the bottom of the staircase, she rubbed her head and got up again.

To answer the many questions she had, she opened the enormous doors leading to the outside world, along with the war.

The guards stared at the Creature, as did the Mipedians.  
They never saw anything that looked like her before.

"Did that one escape?" one of the guards whispered to each other, but the others did not know.

"Is that an Overworlder?" the Mipedians asked each other.

A rash Mipedian jumped out and yelled, "Well I'm not letting her get away if she is!"  
Before anyone could do anything, she stared at the Mipedian attacking her and ran out of his way.

"I'm not going to let you run away! Acceleration!" he called out.  
One of the guards quickly ran in front of him and shot him.

Horrified by the Mipedian's death, even the one who tried to attack her, she screamed.  
The guards looked at her, and asked her if she was one of Mommark's creations.  
"I don't know what you're talking about," were her first words.

The guards looked at each other puzzled, but behind them the Mipedians attacked.  
They quickly reacted and defended themselves, forgetting the girl.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked softly as she saw them fight.  
But no one heard her.  
"Why are you doing this?" she asked as more blood was spread.

One of the Mipedians tried to attack her, but a sharp blade struck through his chest, barely touching her.  
She looked back up at the guard.

"Why are you doing this?" she cried.

The guard looked down sadly at the dead Mipedian.

"Yes," he answered, "why did I do that?"

He slowly slid the sword through his neck and fell to the ground.

She walked.

She walked across the plains, trying to get away from the horror that she saw that night.

It was dawn.

She came upon a large, long river, water flowing fast.

She stared at the water in curiosity.

Then it became blood.

She couldn't even feel vomit come up her throat.

She fell in.

And everything went black.

An Underworlder passed by the river in his territory, looking for something that he had lost earlier.

"I guess it's not here," he said, turning around.

He then heard a thud behind him.

Shocked, he found a girl that looked almost quite dead.

Taking pity on her, he helped her to the land.

"Come on, breathe!" he urged.

Her eyes opened and saw the Creature.  
She scurried backwards, but he caught her so that she wouldn't fall into the water.

"It's ok," he soothed her, "I'm not going to hurt you. But what is your name and how did you get here?"

She thought, but couldn't remember.

"Done with. . . . Elfriede," he had once said.

"Elfriede. . . ." was all she could say.


	2. Chapter 2: Trouble

CHAPTER 2: Trouble

Darkness loomed over the Overworld Capital.  
Nothing stirred in the city, but in the castle in the midst of it, was full of commotion.

"My. . . . my leader. . . ." a nervous guard spoke. He was shivering with dread, as his armor rattled.  
He knelt in front of a tall creature, standing upright, his green skin was barely made out in the darkness of the hallway. A light constantly flickered on the wall far behind him. His strange dark markings adorned on his skin had started to glow faintly.  
"What is it?" his deep voice asked. His golden eyes stared at him with alarm, perplexity, and irritation.  
"My. . . . leader. . . ." the uneasy guard repeated. He swallowed hard.  
"I am growing impatient with you!" the Overworld leader yelled. "What is it that you want to speak to me of?"  
"Um. . . . it. . . . escaped," he muttered.  
"What?"  
"The. . . . creation. . . . sir. . . . it. . . . escaped. . . . sir. . . ."

There was a silence.  
The anxious guard still shook with apprehension, and Maxxor's teeth gnashed.

"When. . . ?" he asked, his eyes closed, his voice deep with rage.  
The guard jumped, and slowly looked up in misunderstanding.  
"When. . . ." he repeated, "did it. . . . escape?"  
"Um. . . . not too long ago, sir. We got word just a few minutes ago sir."

He threw his hand down off the cold brick wall.  
He whispered quietly, "I knew it! I knew it! I knew it!"  
His eyes then flashed a bright red.  
"I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! I couldn't trust him!"

The guard continued to quiver and his leader turned to him.  
"Well what are you waiting for?!" he yelled, "Search the area! Everywhere! We need that creation back before it's too late. HURRY!"  
"Yes sir!" he saluted as he ran.

"Mommark," Maxxor muttered to himself. "I warned you not to make a mistake."  
He hurried down the hallway, the flickering flames a blur.

Frantic, the creator quickly cleaned up the broken remains of the capsule, repeating over and over, "No no no no no no no no no no no NO!"

A large crash was heard from downstairs.

He paused.

He stared at the wall.

"They're here."

The guards pointed their firearms and cautiously walked through the damaged doors.  
"Be careful," a guard warned, "he could use his creations for a defense."  
Maxxor walked in amongst the other guards, the green standing out among the blue.  
He looked around.

"Mommark!" he yelled. "Come out! You can't hide from me!"

In front of them, a familiar blue blur attacked the guards.  
Blinded, they fell.

Maxxor blasted at the blur and sprinted towards it.  
"Gespedan!" he yelled.

The tall, slim blue creature came to a halt as Maxxor continued to run towards him from a distance.  
"Gespedan! You serve me!"

"Sorry Maxxor," he said in a somewhat high-pitch voice, "It's Mommark's orders. I cannot fail him."  
Then a large bomb blasted in front of the Overworld ruler.

"Gah!" he yelled as he coughed. It wasn't an ordinary bomb.

It was gas!

Maxxor pinched his nose together, and tried to call out to the guards not to breath the air.  
But it was too late.

Many of them fell, all at once.

He looked at Gespedan, which suddenly came at him.

Maxxor frantically searched around in his sack.

The blur headed towards him fast.

Maxxor then held a blue Mugic sphere high with one hand, and holding his nose with the other.  
Stunned, Gespedan stopped abruptly, and gazed nervously at the Mugic.

The Mugic floated into the air, and as Gespedan was taking a few steps back, jaw open, once he heard the first three notes he dashed towards him with the greatest speed he had.  
The fourth note played, and he came within a few feet of Maxxor.  
The fifth note played, he was within a few inches.  
The sixth note played, and energy swirled around his fist.  
The seventh note played.

"Song of Stasis!" he yelled with his nose plugged.

Gespedan froze, with the energy still around his fist.

"You serve me!" Maxxor repeated, as Gespedan's eyes stared at him.

"Maxxor!" a few of the remaining guards yelled. He turned around and saw them with Staluk, Ettala, and a few other creations captured.

"Good," Maxxor smiled, "Now for Mommark. . . ."

"Maxxor!" a voice was heard from above.

All the creatures looked up.

The green creature in violet stood on the balcony, his red hair slightly flopped down.

"MOMMARK!" Maxxor screamed on the top of his lungs.

He jumped, almost falling off the balcony, but kept his balance.  
"Maxxor," he called down, "It's all a mistake! Trust me!"

"Yeah, trusting you is the mistake! FIRE!"  
The guards fired at the balcony, and the creator ran.

"Don't let him get away!" the leader yelled as they proceeded up the stairs, leaving their captives behind.  
Maxxor followed quickly behind them, making sure that his Mugic didn't wear off yet.

They entered a hallway, and Mommark was nowhere to be seen. The guards carefully proceeded, and once Maxxor finally caught up with them, the door locked behind them as in front.  
"Maxxor!" a loud voice came from the speakers. "You must understand. It wasn't meant to go like this!"  
"That's the same thing you told me about all of your other experiments!" he yelled back as he blasted the speakers.

The lights turned off and they kept on their guard.  
"Find a way to open those doors! Fast!" Maxxor ordered.  
They fired at the doors and they soon broke through.

Maxxor ran ahead of the squad, going towards Mommark's quarters.

Mommark looked up in surprise when Maxxor burst through the door.  
Before he could say anything, Maxxor yelled, "How many mistakes before your satisfied Mommark? You really want the destruction of Perim?!"  
"I. . . . I. . . . It's not what you think, Maxxor. . . ." was all he could murmur.  
"Oh is it?"  
"I can retrieve her back!"  
"No you can't."  
"Believe me! I can! I can! I myself can get her back! I just need time to plan. . . ."  
"Well then you can plan it in prison!"

His arms were held by the guards as they took him out of the room.  
Maxxor looked around, and saw the plans on his desk.

He picked up the tattered papers, and said quietly, "What have I done?"

"Get in there!" one of the guards yelled as Mommark fell onto the ice cold, hard ground behind the bars.  
He staggered up as they slammed the door hard behind him.

He turned around and grasped the cold metal bars.  
"I've should've did this to you ever since your first creation!" said Maxxor furiously.  
"Please! Maxxor!" he pleaded but he saw the Overworld leader walk away, Intress right next to him, not paying any attention to his cries.

I hope that creation doesn't go to the Underworld as so many of his creations had, Maxxor thought.  
His second in-command stared at him with concerned emerald eyes.

"Maxxor. . . ." she tried to speak, but Maxxor paid no attention to her, just staring at the ground as he walked.  
"Maxxor?" she tried again.

His thoughts were interrupted and finally asked, "What is it now Intress?"  
Her jaw opened at his irritation, but simply asked, "What should we do now? Should we have someone look-!"  
"NO!"he yelled. "I cannot afford to lose any time. That creation is more powerful and more dangerous than anything Mommark made before."  
"What do you suggest then?"  
"I'm going to speak with Najarin. I'm sure he can locate that creation and its whereabouts."  
"But you might not make it in time!"  
"Not without a telebracer!" he said as one of the guards passed it to him.  
Intress' eyes widened, surprised how fast Maxxor planned everything.

The castle glistened over the shimmering waters.  
Auroras of greens, pinks, blues and other hues painted the night sky.

"I want that Mugic!" a deep voice called out as a figure in the water dodged an attack.  
"Underworlders!" a great large brown bird squawked out to the castle.  
"How many?" the old Muge inquired.  
"I don't know, but there are many!"

The wise creature peered out the window. There were not as many as he suspected, but it was clear that his help was needed.  
In the water, Mezzmarr battled fiercely, keeping the Underworlders at bay.

Akkrean flew high above the assailants, attacking them from afar.  
Najarin ascended through the air as well, Mugic in hand.

The battle went on, and they almost had the Underworlders defeated.  
"Song of Fury!" one of them cired out.  
Before Najarin could do anything, Akkrean fell to the water.

He dashed down to rescue him.  
"NAJARIN! WAIT!"

He halted in midair at that familiar voice. He turned to the leader of his tribe, with a gleaming red telebracer on his arm.  
"Maxxor!" he called out, "I have to save Akkrean! He's badly injured. We're under attack-!"  
"I know!"

He stared at him, surprised by his callous nature. Maxxor did nothing, just stare at the Muge with stern golden eyes.

"But Maxxor-!"  
"More Overworlders will fall if this is not done now! And so will all the creatures of Perim!"

There was no other choice Najarin could make except say, "What is it you want me to do?"

"I see," the Muge said, sitting in a chair in front of Maxxor, hearing explosions outside the castle, and fearful that Mezzmarr can hold them back by himself.  
"I need you to locate the creation," Maxxor demanded. "I don't care how, I just need to know it's location right away."  
"I can try," said Najarin.

Maxxor patiently waited outside the doors, leaving Najarin to concentrate.

The blue light faded from in between the crack and Maxxor entered.  
"Any luck?"  
"Unfortunately, no. This creation has no Mugic energy in it, which is strange, because isn't that what Mommark uses to create them?"  
Maxxor took no time to wonder about that.

"Use the Song of Futuresight then!" he ordered.  
Najarin hesitated, but could not disobey the leader of the Overworld.

They walked into the Mugic chamber, and millions of Mugic floated in the air of many kinds, red, blue, brown, yellow, gray, and black.  
Once he extended his hand, all the Mugic flew in different directions as one gray one remained.

"Song of Futuresight!" he called, "Show me the future that lies ahead!"  
And as his eyes shone with a white glow, Maxxor looked outside the window and at the sky, paying no attention to the war beneath it.

The aurora shone brightly.  
"This is all because of that creation. . . ." he said. "And now something bad is going to happen, I know it. . . ."

"Maxxor," Najarin said behind him.  
He turned around and asked, "What did you see?"

He was silent as his face almost camouflaged with his beard. He stared at him with terror.

"What did you see Najarin?" Maxxor asked, even more concerned.

"Perhaps you can alter the future that I just saw," he told him.

"How?" he inquired.

"If that creation is stopped at all costs."


	3. Chapter 3: Interrogation

Chapter 3: Interrogation

". . . . and that is how we will proceed," said a deep voice at last, "Do I need to repeat it. . . . AGAIN?!"  
The frightened creatures quickly shook their heads as they stared at the tall, muscular creature.  
"Alright," he started again, "then we can-"  
"But I am unsure what-what we're doing-sir!" yelled one of them, eyes shut tight.  
"WE'RE AMBUSHING THE OVERWORLD! WHAT ELSE DID YOU THINK WE'RE DOING?!" screamed the leader, blue eyes flaming.  
"I'm sorry-sorry sir!"  
"I don't even know what you're doing here! You should be-!"  
"CHAOR!" a guard called as he burst through the door.

The ruler of the Underworld turned from the table, which upon it laid a map of Kiru City with bright red lines crossing around it.  
The group of a dozen creatures stared at Chaor speaking with the guard, not saying one word to provoke his extremely short temper.

"I see," Chaor said at last as he left the room with the guard, leaving the squad unattended.  
"Why do you think he left?" one of them asked. "I think I don't want to know," another replied.

Chaor walked briskly down the long, dimly lit hall, the guard following quickly behind him. The sound of his boots on the ground scared away some, for it meant that this was a grave matter not to be interrupted.

Once they arrived in the throne room, a large round room, two creatures awaited their ruler on the dais on the side of the throne. The one on the left was a female, with bright yellow skin, long straight jet-black hair, and great wings impatiently flapping behind. On the right was a blue creature with golden eyes, staring at Chaor as he climbed the stairs.  
"What took you?" Takinom inquired.  
But before Chaor could make his reply as he sat down, the guards burst in all at once, crowding the door. One of them seized an arm, which appeared to look like a human's, and threw a girl on the ground roughly and before she could rush to escape, they quickly closed the doors on her.  
"Wait!" she cried, "I didn't do anything wrong!" She banged on the doors, but the guards continued to ignore her.

Chaor let out a hoarse cough after a long while.  
She quickly jumped, her red hair tossed in the other direction, revealing her light yellow eyes, staring with fear at the three enormous creatures. She gasped, for she never saw anything like them before.  
"I. . . . didn't do anything wrong!" she yelled, slowly walking closer to them.  
Chaor leaned forward and narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"  
"I. . . ." she started, "I. . . ."  
"What?" Takinom mocked, "You can't think up a fake name? Surely you planned this out, spy."  
"Spy?" she asked, "Am I a spy?"  
"We don't know!" Chaor bellowed. "That's why we're asking!"

There was a silence.  
"What?" Takinom asked, irritated, "We can't wait all day for your excuse! I say we throw her in the dungeon NOW, Chaor!"  
"WAIT!" Chaor yelled. He walked up towards the helpless girl. She started for the doors again but he caught her shoulder in the mighty grasp of his hand. He turned her around, and stared into her eyes.  
"Answer me now," he said gravely, "Or else we will have to force you to."

Her eyes widened. Visions of torture flashed through her mind.  
"I. . . . I don't remember!" she cried out.  
"Chaor!" yelled Takinom, "We cannot trust her! She's obviously a spy! Most likely for the Overworld!"  
"Hold on," he said, turning his head, "Where was she found again?"  
"Um. . . ."  
"In the river, sir!" Agitos said.  
"Which one?!"  
"We. . . . don't know. All we do know that she most likely came from the Overworld, as Takinom said."  
Takinom smirked in delight.

"Now," Chaor asked, "what can you prove against that?"  
She struggle out of his grasp, but failed. "I DON'T KNOW!"  
The Underworld ruler was beginning to get tired of her, pretending to be so innocent, when she failed to plot a plan against her most hated Tribe, just like a typical Overworlder.  
He could not control the flame that started in his fist.

"Give me a honest answer, or else I will you. Understand that?"  
She nodded.

They stared at each other; she even ignored the burning flame, trying to remember.

"I think I remember now," she said.  
Chaor patiently waited for the excuse or the truth.

". . . . blood."  
"Blood?" Agitos questioned.  
"Yes. I remember the blood."

Her eyes widened as her irises became tiny yellow dots.  
"And then. . . . I drowned in it. . . . the river of blood, it drowned me. . . . I tried to get out of it, but I couldn't stop from choking. . . . and. . . . then. . . . I. . . ."  
She coughed and Chaor quickly let go.  
Her knees dropped to the floor as the reddish pink vomit fell onto the floor, mixing with her tears.

The rest were awe-struck, they didn't know what to make of this.

"She's crazy. . . ." Takinom murmured beneath her breath.

After that she stood up again.

"Done with. . . . Elfriede. . . ." she remembered.  
"And my name. . . . is Elfriede," she said as she got up.

"Elfriede. . . ."said Agitos, in wonder.  
"It appears to me," Chaor said after a thought, "that you have gone mad. Try to recollect more of your memory and we will discuss this again tomorrow."  
The doors opened and he signaled the guards to lead her out, presumably to the guest chambers.

After they closed, Takinom came quick to conclusions.  
"Why did you do that Chaor?! She is an Overworld spy I tell you!"  
"But Takinom," said Agitos, "have you ever seen a spy act like THAT? That is simply outrageous. She must have lost her memory!"  
"She's a lunatic! She is a freak! Did you look at her? She looks just like a human with long ears!"  
"And Mugical markings!"  
"I say she's an Overworlder and I am sticking to it!"  
"SILENCE!" Chaor roared.

They obeyed.  
"Agitos is right, Takinom, I have never seen anyone act like that before in my life. I believe that either she is an Overworlder, like you said, but has no memory of it. The river she came from must have had a cliff or maybe she bumped her head and fell in. Who knows? Or maybe she is just ill. But either way, who cares?"  
They blinked.  
"But what if she is an Overworlder?" asked Takinom.  
"Then. . . ." Chaor smiled, "that would be better. You see, if this creature does has lost her memory, but is an Overworlder, she could be the perfect spy."  
"But what if she recalls these memories and turns against the Underworld?" Agitos questioned.  
"I won't let her out of our sight," he replied with certainty.

Takinom shrugged, disappointed with Chaor's decision, and Agitos looked at the ground in wonder, pondering if this was the best choice to make.  
Even Chaor himself was unsure, but he saw something strange.  
It was something in her eyes.

Two dots.  
They terrified him, which lead him to believe that she was something more than a creature.

And he had the next day to find out.

She was brought in again, through the same doors, Chaor and his advisors in the same place as before.  
She breathed heavily, recalling what happened the night before.

The red guards threw her in the somewhat large room, and one of them called out, "You're an Overworld spy! I don't know why Chaor should let you stay here!" "You're going to die! You're going to die!" the others sang over and over again like children.

What are they going to do to me, she thought.  
"Did you remember anything else?" asked Chaor, getting straight to the point.  
"Um. . . . yeah," she said.  
They leaned closer.  
"Well, last night I. . . . remembered how I fell in. I was running. Then, I fell. I couldn't remember why I was running, but I had a need to get away. I had to get away or else I was going to perish, to be soaked with blood. Once I fell, I tried to get up again. . . . and when I did. . . ."  
Her eyes then started darting in different directions with trepidation.

". . . . I saw a creature. It seemed to be crying, hands covering its face. And when I went to go see what's wrong, it said, 'DEATH.' And it revealed its eyes, and they. . . . . . . . were voids, with red-stained tears. And then it said, 'If you continue to live here, DEATH will follow.' So, I started to leave, and as I did, I felt a pain inside me. I stared at the blade which drove through my chest. That's when I saw. . . . no blood. But the pain was there, but no blood. So I. . . . started clawing at my chest. . . . trying to find life within me, but still. . . . no blood. Then I. . . . took the knife out, and started stabbing over and over into my heart, but no effect. So I. . . . stabbed my eyes. . . . and the pain. . . . like you wouldn't believe. . . ."  
"YOU EXPECT US TO BELIEVE THAT?" Chaor bellowed.  
"Chaor, calm down!" Agitos said, "We can't come to conclusions just yet!"  
"But she is obviously lying!" screamed Takinom.  
Chaor impatiently walked down the stairs and right in front of Elfriede.  
"Elfriede, right?" he asked, "Do you understand what kinds of punishment a spy would get if they are revealed?"  
"No sir," she said in fear.

Tears started to come from beneath her eyes as she sniffed.  
"I. . . . don't know anything," she cried.  
"STOP CRYING!" yelled Takinom, "Chaor, she's obviously faking it! Remember what happened last time with Phelphor? We can't trust her!"  
"I'm telling the truth! I swear!" she whimpered.

". . . . If. . . . she doesn't remember one thing about being in the Overworld," concluded Agitos after a long thought, "then I suggest she must prove that she can be loyal to the Underworld."  
"I agree!" Chaor said as he turned around. He paced about the room.  
"To prove it to us that you will be forever loyal to the Underworld, you will accomplish the task of completing the mission of ambushing Kiru City with us. . . . and I must witness you assassinating Overworlders. If it all fails, I have no choice. . . ."  
He stared at her into her eyes.  
". . . .but to make DEATH follow."

She nodded.  
"I'll do it! I'll do it!" she sobbed.  
"Good," smiled Chaor, Takinom shaking her head with doubt.  
"You will be under our surveillance at all times, Elfriede, so you can't even think of escaping," he said.

"Don't worry," she said as a dark, smile slowly spread, eyes narrowed, "I never even thought of it in the first place.


	4. Chapter 4: Promise

CHAPTER 4: Promise

"When I first saw the castle, I was amazed. At first, I thought it was a mirage. It looked similar to Gothos Tower. Nothing like any other Mipedian architecture I've ever seen before. A few other fellow Mipedians and I proceeded closer, and we found that it was indeed real. It casted a shadow, and the sun began to be blocked by a mysterious dark fog. We shivered, but proceeded further. We reached the dark castle. The doors were larger than any warbeast, and the windows were covered in gray. My comrades went for the door handles and tried to turn them open. We thought it was a failure until as we turned around, we heard a CREAAAAAAAAAAAAAKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK! We slowly went in. It was dark, and icy cold. Many wanted to turn back, but fear couldn't overcome their curiosity. I turned back and waited outside, after one of my friends told me to keep watch. Although I am the head of most expeditions, as you know, I waited outside for one can study the time-period by the style of the architecture. It was twisted, and completely black. I never saw anything like it before-!  
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHH!"  
She jumped in her chair.  
"Ha ha! I got you! Then, I went inside to see what it was, and to make sure one of my comrades weren't hurt. Then, as I entered, I saw a dark figure staggering closer to me. I stepped back to find one of my own! I went to help him. He was scarred and bruised everywhere. He screamed as bright crimson blood spewed out from his neck. He fell to the ground, murmuring the name 'Odille, Odille, Odille' repeatedly, until. . . ."

The girl leaned closer, intrigued.  
The Mipedian laughed, "I'm just joking! This is just a story, Corinne! I can't believe you're so gullible!"  
"Yeah," the blue-haired girl agreed, her emerald eyes sparkling as she innocently giggled.  
A smile spread across the Mipedian's red face. He was glad he had a close friend, although she was a human, she was the main source of his entertainment, and she truthfully kept the secrets that he told her. But the main difference between her and his fellow Mipedians was that she liked Taffial just for the way he is, despite their difference in species and home worlds, and was truly interested in Perim's history.

"But Taffial," she started after a moment after laughing, "is this story really true? I mean, the part of Odille's castle?"  
He hesitated.

"Unfortunately, Corinne," he started, "it is."  
"COOL!" she shouted, "I want to go there with you!"

Fear spread across his face.  
"Taffial. . . ."  
"Corinne. I lied to you. I'm sorry, but I actually did see my comrade die right before my eyes."

Her jaw dropped.  
"That's not something to joke about Taffial! Unless, you're joking right now."  
He shook his head.  
"Why. . . ?"  
"I. . . . just wanted to keep the story going. . . . and I. . . . didn't realize. . ."

He tried to keep the tears from spilling out from his eyes. It had been at least one solon from when it happened. I remembered it clearly, and how as he went further in, more and more Mipedians tried to run for their lives as they exploded and cut to pieces, blood splattering and disappearing. "A ghost!" one said as he successfully escaped.  
Only a few escaped. But they could never escape from the terror that would haunt them for the rest of their life. . . .

"Hey! What's going on in there?" he asked as he continued bravely, but he shook, fearing that his fate would end up like the unfortunate ones. The torch didn't help very much. It was almost pitch-black. And his surroundings were either worn out or covered in cobwebs.  
"GET OUT OF HERE!" a voice shrieked.  
He jumped and shone his torch around him, waiting for the. . . . whatever it was to attack.  
"Get out of here!" the same voice said, "While you still can!"

But what kind of voice was it?  
It couldn't have been a male's. That was for sure. The high-pitched female voice sounded innocent, especially with the little sniffles here and there.

"A girl. . . ?" he concluded as he shone the torch directly in front of him, completely in thought.  
"Hey!" he called out, looking around, "Where are you?"  
He started to walk where he heard the sniffling the strongest, against the cold tiles, making sure not to step where it was wet.  
Was it a trap? He thought. It could have, but the Mipedians are smart, they wouldn't fall for something like that for they were taught and experienced not seeing with their eyes.

It was a risk to take, for if a little girl was in need or trapped, or slowly dying. . . .

"DON'T MOVE!"  
He stood stiff.  
"Look up!"  
And he did so, but saw nothing. Although he knew that the girl or the trap was very close.  
He closed his eyes for a moment and quickly shone his torch up. He slowly opened one eye.

"The archway," she said, "but don't come any closer!"  
"The archway. . . ?" he whispered.  
"On top of it!" she answered.  
He nervously shone the shaking torch above the eerie archway. It was a dark blur.

"I can't see you!" he said, "Do you need help getting down?"  
"No! GET OUT OF HERE!" she screamed. "I'm a ghost, you might get killed!"

"A ghost?" he asked curiously, proceeding closer in intrigue.  
He shone the flaming torch on a pale blue Mipedian in a purple dress with long flowing silver hair, weeping.  
She was beautiful, but had a ghostly aura about her.

He jumped back as she became translucent for a moment, but came even closer.

This wasn't a trap after all.  
"So it is true. . . ." he said to himself.  
"I told you not to come any closer!" she yelled as she turned to him, exposing her beautiful golden eyes.  
"But I'm not dead now am I?" he asked. "Listen, I'm an archeologist. We didn't come here to hurt you. Why are you in this old relic? The Mipedian monarchy moved elsewhere."  
"Because I lived here. . . ."  
"You. . . ?"

Two Mipedians came behind Taffial, but he ignored him, in the middle of his train of thought.  
"What's your name?" he asked.  
"Odille. . . ." she said in between sobs.  
The Mipedians ran up behind him as he stood staring at her in awe.  
"TAFFIAL DON'T-!" one screamed as they both fell to the ground.

Taffial turned around to see his falling comrades, eyes wide open.  
Odille started to bawl even harder.

"Why did you do that?" he asked seriously. "They were my friends!"  
"I. . . . don't know!" she cried.  
He stared at her, trying to comprehend her ever flowing tears and his dead comrades as one Mipedian revealed his true nature and grabbed him harshly by the arm.  
Taffial dropped the torch.  
"Come on! You need to get out of here! It's dangerous!" he hollered as he dragged Taffial away, turning invisible again.  
But he kept staring at her, watching her weep as he scratched along the tiles.  
"I'll come back ok? I'll save you!" he said once the doors slammed in front of him.

"Taffial!" the Mipedian said angrily, as he looked at his wounded comrades. "What have you done?"  
"I'm sorry, I didn't know-!"  
"Why were you talking to her? Why did she spare just you?"  
"I. . . . don't know."  
"DON'T KNOW? Well what about, 'I'll save you so that you can kill more Mipedians?!'"  
A Mipedian rushed up to him and kept him away from Taffial.  
"It was a little girl! I saw her!" he said.  
He broke roughly away from him and pointed at Taffial.

"You've killed Creatures from your own Tribe. . . ."

Taffial could never forget those piercing red eyes.

He turned away from Corinne.  
"I didn't realize," he continued, ". . . . the sadness."  
He turned towards Corinne again.  
"Forget it. Forget everything I've told you. Don't go there, and don't tell anyone of its existence. Please, Corinne," he said solemnly.

"I won't," she promised.

Taffial sank back into his chair, relieved.

He knew he could always trust Corinne.

She sat there, smiling at him. That always made him feel hot and his heart started to beat faster. He couldn't help these feelings that had developed ever since they became really close friends.  
Maybe this is my chance, he thought.

"Um. . . . Corinne. . . . there's. . . . something I have to tell you. . . ." he started.  
She stared lovingly at him, her beautiful jade eyes reflecting from the bright sunlight outside the window.  
He could not say more. He stared at her back with the same auburn eyes, but without the beautiful glare that she had.

Their faces came closer. . . .  
. . . . and closer. . . .

. . . . and then. . . .

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!  
Taffial jumped and threw himself back on the backrest of the chair.

He had failed.

Corinne brought out the yellow scanner and her eyes scanned across it.  
"Oh, Taffial. I'm sorry but I have to get back to Chaotic," she said.

He stared at her sorrowfully.  
He sighed and said, "Of course. I understand."

And with that she was covered with blue numbers and letters faster than any Mipedian can go.

He slumped back into the chair as he muttered miserably, "I failed. I failed to tell her how I truly feel."

In the corner of the brightly lit room, a Mipedian appeared suddenly.  
He was a golden-brown, and had a piece of wood replacing where the bottom-half of a leg should have been.

"Why did you tell her?" he asked despondently.  
Taffial just stared at him, for he knew that nothing matters now.

"I don't know," he replied after a while, eyes wondering in different directions.  
The Mipedian came closer and slammed his hand against the side table.  
"You actually like that human?" he demanded.

"I feel different around her compared to other female Mipedians," he admitted drowsily.

The Mipedian gnashed his teeth.  
"Look you!" he yelled, bringing Taffial back to his senses. "We are going to the Mipedian Lounge and we are going to find some girls-!"  
"No thanks," Taffial said, not looking at him, heading towards the door.

The Mipedian looked at him irately.  
The red one turned his head and said, "I need to study an artifact."

"You're getting yourself into a bunch of trouble, Taffial! And the past is not everything in the world!" he hollered as he stormed out the room faster than Taffial.

The door slammed in his face.

Taffial stared at his wooden floor.

"The past is very important," he said gravely.

"For it determines the future."


	5. Chapter 5: Presentiment

CHAPTER 5: Presentiment

He kneeled down, shivering. The others around him could hear him shaking within his large, brown exoskeleton.  
He held up the scroll to his Queen as she sat there in a rather impatient matter, staring at the piece of paper with stern golden eyes.  
"Hmm. . . ."she started.  
The Danians around them leaned forward, wondering what lied in the scroll.

"Well this is quite inconvenient. I wonder what we should do about this. . . ." she said, her eyes still reading over the words. The guards looked at each other in curiosity.  
"Humph," she sighed, "At least they held up. I think we will send a few troops there."  
She smiled at the shaking messenger.

"Thank you," she said sweetly.  
He nodded and quickly ran out the doors faster than a blink of an eye.  
She blinked and looked up gravely at the guards.  
"The Nest of the Ancestors has suffered an Underworld attack."

The Danians' eyes widened as murmurs spread across the room as Aszil patiently waited for the Danians to take in this information.

During the M'arrillian Invasion, Queen Illexia had taken advantage of the distraction to establish a new nest what they called the Nest of the Ancestors, which primarily focused on Infection and Ancestral Calling.

"The scroll stated that the Underworlders spotted Danians migrating from Mount Pillar to the Nest. In short, the Underworlders are angry that we impeded on their territory and Chaor organized a legion of warriors to attack the Nest," she continued.  
"Underworlders!" a few murmured quietly, saying that they knew it all along.  
"They are holding up quite well, but we are going to need to send a few of our troops over there."

The Danians saluted and crowded the doors, slowly leaving. Through the brown crowd a little yellow messenger wiggled his way through, heaving once he stood before the Queen and the guards.  
"My Queen," he started, "I have brought news from some Danians who observed some strange behavior in the Overworld."  
He gave her the letter as he lowered his head before Her Majesty.  
Strange, she thought, we haven't heard news about the Overworld in some time.  
Her eyes fell on the letter, as they widened.

"This is very strange indeed. . . ." she said at last. "If the Overworlders are planning some sort of attack. . . . or possibly making some sort of dangerous battlegear. . . . or. . . . maybe. . . . I can't tell for now. But we need someone to investigate. We can't go to war with the Overworld if we need to back up the Nest."  
"Who should I send, my lady?" asked one of the guards who now stood behind the messenger.  
"Hmm. How about we send that ex-ambassador to the Overworld?"  
"You mean Raznus?"  
"Precisely."  
"What if he refuses?"  
"It is not an option."

He nodded his head and swiftly bowed and walked out the doors.

"Why are you still here?" Aszil inquired to the little yellow Danian. "Go on now, shoo."  
He quickly got up and left as well, leaving the Queen with the remaining guards.

"Why Raznus?" one whispered to the other. "Doesn't she know that he would definitely refuse to spy on the Overworld?"  
"Maybe it's because he might know it well."  
"Probably, but still."

She sighed.  
"You know, I can hear you."

They looked at her and kept quiet.

"WHAT?!"  
"You cannot refuse. It is direct orders from Her Majesty."  
The Danian that was once the ambassador to the Overworld groaned as he scratched his head.  
"Are you sure?" he asked.  
"I am never wrong."  
"Well I don't know about that, but I guess I have no choice but to trust you."  
Just before he was about to get ready, he quickly asked the guard who was leaving, "Will there anyone to assist me?"  
"No. This is a solitary mission. You must figure out what it is that they are keeping secret. If they catch you, just sign a peace treaty so that we won't have to deal with them. . . . for now."  
"What about a letter from Her Majesty-?"  
"There's no time! You must go NOW."  
The guard quickly ran away from the room they were in.  
It was a small, shabby room that Raznus resided in ever since he was assimilated. He liked being a Danian, however he preferred his old house in Kiru City, which was much nicer.

He quickly went over to the cabinet and got all the things he needed for his mission.  
"Oh great," he said to himself, "I have to go all that way. . . ."

On the cold, gray walls, the Danian climbed up and over them, stealthily, not making one sound.  
From on top of the roof, he looked at the many stars that filled the night sky. But he had no time for distractions. He focused on the talking guards below.  
"So what are doing tonight?" he heard one say.  
"I don't know. Maybe WATCH the place and keep on GUARD."  
"Well we can't do this forever! I mean, what are you going to do after our watch?"  
"Maybe catch a bite, or maybe just go home and go to bed!"  
"Man, you're so boring. I wish I was put on watch with someone who actually had a PERSONALITY."  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
"You know well what I mean!"

Ah, those guards, Raznus thought, they're not talking about anything important.  
As he climbed down the wall, he felt his foot slip.

He fell straight onto the hard ground.  
His eyes widened as he tried to get up, but his ankle was badly injured so he staggered up, and he walked behind a building.  
The guards came around the corner as he tried to run, but tripped over his injured ankle.

"DANIAN!" one of them yelled as they pointed their gun at him.  
He turned around in shock, red eyes staring at them.

"Hey, isn't that that Raznus guy?"  
The other scratched his head. "Maybe. I don't remember seeing him in the Alliance, though."  
"Yes the Danians were! In fact I think that he was the one who. . . ."  
They looked at the empty ground. The Danian was gone.

"What do you think we should do?"  
"Well he was sneaking around in the middle of the night! What do you think?"  
"But he was once Maxxor's friend!"  
"But he's also a DANIAN. What part of that do you not understand?"  
"But-!"

"A Danian?" a somewhat high pitched voice asked from behind them.  
They turned around to see a blue built figure. It was Gespedan!  
He stared at them with a grave face.  
"Did you let him get away?" he inquired.  
"No! It was his fault!"  
"No! It was his!"  
"ENOUGH!" he yelled. "What did he look like?"

"It was Raznus."  
"Raznus? Are you sure?" he said, coming closer.  
"Yes! We're positive!"

As they were busy discussing, Raznus himself climbed the castle.  
He jumped onto the balcony and knocked out two guards while he was at it. He looked down over Kiru City.  
"It didn't seem that there were too many guards," he whispered to himself. "I don't know why those Danians were so suspicious."

"Nice view, isn't it, Raznus?" he heard a deep voice come from behind him.  
He jumped as he turned around, almost falling of the balcony.  
But he gripped the bar behind him, ready to either attack or defend.

The great green Overworlder stared at him angrily with flaming yellow eyes.  
"Maxxor!" he yelled in shock, not expecting him to find him so fast!  
"What are you doing here, Raznus? Trying to steal something from the Overworld for your new Tribe?!"  
The Overworld leader said this with great ***, for his old friend would choose his Tribe that he never belonged to, over anything in the Overworld. He stared at him as he clenched his teeth.  
"We Danians suspected that the Overworld is doing something in secrecy. . . ." he started.  
Maxxor's eyes widened. How did they find out about the creation so soon? Maybe that's where the creation went, and told them.  
He did nothing but continue to listen.  
". . . . and we merely just-!"  
"RAZNUS!" Intress screamed from behind both of them, coming through the door with a bunch guards around her.  
"Intress!" yelled Maxxor, "We need to hear what he has to say!"  
"Maxxor, we can't afford any more mistakes! You know we can't trust him! Get over it! He works for the DANIANS now!" She was ready to call fire and attack with the guards, but Maxxor quickly turned towards Raznus, whose jaw was open.  
"We Danians merely just want to sign a peace treaty! We don't want to go to war with something we don't know of," he said, staring at the many firearms that pointed at him.  
"A peace treaty?" Maxxor asked, "Remember what happened last time?!"  
He took him by the collar of his robe and held him up.  
"I'm going to ask you one more time, why are you actually here, Raznus?!" he yelled furiously.

"Maxxor. . . ." he said, staring ingenuously at him, "Our tribe is dealing with a lot of things right now, and we can't afford to go to war. . . . Especially something that you keeping in hiding. . . ."  
Maxxor's tense eyes relaxed, staring at his old friend, which he hoped that was telling the truth.

"Alright," Maxxor said at last.  
"Maxxor, we can't-!" Intress tried to speak.  
"Enough, Intress! We can't afford to go either!" He yelled back at her.  
She stared at him, taking consideration to what he said.

Maxxor wrote as Raznus patiently waited in front of him, Intress staring at him with suspicious cerulean eyes.  
He handed him the paper once he was finished.  
Raznus read it over and said, "Thank you, Maxxor."  
He climbed out the window and the many buildings towards Kiru City's walls.

"Why didn't he just go out the normal way?" Maxxor asked as he and Intress stared at him from the balcony.  
"We should have someone escort him out. That was too risky!" Intress said.  
"I think we can trust him," said Maxxor, "After all, we have to deal with finding the creation, and I doubt they have it because coming here would be the last thing they would do."  
"That's true, but what if they find out about the creation and try to find it for themselves?"  
"Well," he said gravely, looking towards the Ancestral Walls and Perim beyond, "we are going to have to find it first."

Aszil looked at the ex-ambassador, who handed her the piece of paper.  
She took careful consideration in reading it, and made sure that it exactly stated that they won't go to war and they won't reveal their secret.  
She handed it to one of her guards who kept it in safekeeping.

"But did you find out anything about what their secret was?" she inquired.

A smirk spread across his face and his red eyes narrowed.

"Of course, your Majesty."


	6. Chapter 6: Bereavement

CHAPTER 6: Bereavement

"So we all know exactly what to do. . . . . RIGHT?!" Chaor demanded as he glared at the line of Underworlders, standing stiff.  
Before the Underworld ruler could say any further, he noticed one of his soldiers was out of line and not paying attention.  
He walked over towards the red-haired girl, who looked about curiously at the walls, then stared at the others, who just eyed her, not daring to make Chaor angry again.  
Chaor just stared at her with curiosity and bewilderment. He wasn't sure if this was just all one act, or maybe she actually did lose her memory. What really caught his attention, even from the start, was the Mugical markings beneath her eyes and on each shoulder.  
What is she, he thought.  
She could have possibly been an Overworlder, but most of her actions didn't make any sense at all to him.

Well, at least she can prove she's loyal to the Underworld by killing an Overworlder.

"Elfriede," he said at last. The girl's yellow eyes widened as she straightened, imitating the other guards.  
"Do you know what this is?" he asked, holding up a large battlegear which looked like a machine gun.  
She shook her head. The others, glaring at her from the side of their eyes, giggled a bit.  
"This," he said, holding it up, "is one of Ulmar's latest battlegears."  
He held it on his shoulder, and smirked, "And this is how you will use it!"

There was a large bang, and Elfriede couldn't help but cover her ears while the rest gazed at the broken wall in awe.  
"Now," he said, turning towards Elfriede, ears still covered, "It's your turn."  
She opened one eye, and looked at the battlegear.  
She even thought it was even larger than her!

"I. . . ." she started, "don't know how to use it." She looked down sadly as the others laughed at her.  
"I'll show you," said Chaor.

Then, a Creature flew in the room, and landed hard the ground. But no one seemed to notice.  
Actually, no one seemed to care.  
Takinom looked around, wondering why they weren't ready for their mission.  
She paid no attention to the huge dent in the wall, and couldn't do anything but stare at Chaor and Elfriede.

She was about to puke.

He was setting the large firearm on Elfriede's shoulder, and holding her arm in place. Then going around her again and again, making sure the battlegear was in place.

He was so close to her. . . .

"CHAOR!" yelled Takinom.  
Everyone paused and stared at her as she walked further into the room.  
"We were supposed to be leaving here a few minutes ago! What's the hold up?"  
Chaor looked back at Elfriede, and perfected her stance more.  
Takinom clenched her teeth.

"Elfriede needs to know how to use this weapon. . . ." Chaor said simply.  
"SHE WOULD KNOW IF SHE WASN'T A SPY FOR MAXXOR!" she screamed.  
Chaor just stared at her gravely.  
"She WILL *** an Overworlder," he started in a serious tone, "even if it means using Ulmar's latest battlegear to do it, and I will witness it."  
Takinom glared at Elfriede coldly and turned around, walking out of the room.

"Now you just pull the trigger and bang bang!" Chaor said as he made hand gestures of a gun shooting.  
Elfriede was shaking out of fear and the weight of the large thing, but she had to focus. She narrowed her golden eyes and focused on the wall where the missile last fired.

BANG!

Her ears her still ringing, and she dropped the battlegear and covered her ears again.  
The rest laughed again, but silenced once Chaor glanced at them.

"Now," Chaor said, "I think we're ready."

Every Creature in the room stared at the spot where Elfriede fired. The wall was completely gone, and a few pebbles fell from the top of the arch. Takinom walked where the large empty space was and folded her arms, Agitos not far behind her.

They were all in the aircraft.  
It became a new tactic ever since the M'arrillian Invasion, and it was mostly used by Overworlders because they lived above ground. However, once the Underworld got their own plane, invented by Ulmar, of course, they found it was a great idea to fly threw the Passage and shoot at the guards.  
And this is what they intended to do.

Elfriede was sitting in a compartment far from the control center.  
There were a few other Creatures in the room with her, very tall and muscular tough looking ones which terrified her.  
They all sat and waited, some were sleeping while a few others talked.  
"Hey," one said to another, "Did you hear about what we're going to steal from the Overworld?"  
"Some Mugic right?"  
"Not just any Mugic! It's-"  
The door slammed open, and everyone stared at the large figure.  
His dark green menacing eyes scanned across the room, while cold air came in and out through his black nose. He felt colder than the rest it seemed, because of his white fur, but it did have a few brown steaks in it.  
His black and gray armor clattered as he stormed though the compartment, and he stopped in the middle.  
"Where is Elfriede?" his very deep voice asked loudly.  
Everyone stared at the girl, who hid behind the seat she was just previously sitting on.  
"Come on out now," he demanded and he went up to her and shoved the chair away.  
She stared at the one large, broken horn on his head.

He couldn't help but just look at her. She looked like a human, with Mugical markings. Surely this isn't the one Chaor could have been talking about. Maybe it was a Chaotic player. . . .  
"You're coming with me," he said as he pointed to himself.  
"I didn't do anything wrong!" she yelped.  
"What. . . ?" He stared at her.  
"Please. . . ." she started weeping, "don't hurt me. . . ."  
"You're not in trouble," he simply stated.  
"I'm not?"  
"No, but you still have to come with me. Chaor's orders."  
"Ok!" she smiled.

What a strange Creature, or human, he thought.  
They arrived at a small compartment space, where there was only one other Creature sat.  
"Get in there!" he yelled as he pushed Elfriede in.  
She almost fell over but caught herself.  
"Rigbar, that wasn't a very polite thing to do!" yelled the Creature in the room.  
Elfriede looked back, frightened, as this Creature called Rigbar as the doors automatically closed in front of them. She banged on them with all her might.  
"I didn't do anything wrong!" she cried.  
She gave up and started to weep.

"You're not in trouble," said the Creature.  
The voice, it sounded so soft and sweet.

A female's.  
Elfriede never heard a voice like that before in her life. The only other female she ever met was Takinom, who has harsh and cruel to her.  
Elfriede turned around, looking at the Creature which sat there.  
She had short brown hair, pale yellow skin with a few red markings on her face and arms. She wore a navy blue shirt as well as shorts. Her hoofs reminded her of Chaor.

"I. . . ." Elfriede wept.  
"Don't worry, you didn't do anything wrong," smiled the Creature, "Chaor just wanted you to be in here so that you won't cause any trouble."  
"What kind of trouble?"  
She blinked.  
"Huh? What do you mean? Aren't you the Overworld spy?"  
"Am I?"  
"Well you look like one!"  
"I really don't know. . . ."

There was a silence.  
Elfriede looked down solemnly and sat on the floor next to the Creature, arms folded around her knees.  
The Creature was polishing her battlegear. It looked similar to the one Chaor demonstrated before the flight.  
Elfriede couldn't help but stare.

The Creature eyed her.  
"Why are you staring at me?" she asked.  
"Oh! I, uh. . . ." Elfriede started, but silenced herself.  
"What do you think about this mission? I heard we're going to get some rare Mugic!"  
"Huh?" she blinked, "What's that?"  
"Mugic? You mean. . . . you never heard of it?"  
She shook her head.

"So. . . . you aren't an Overworld spy for Maxxor. . . ? I thought Chaor was just going easy on you, but does that mean he actually believes you. . . ?"

They stared at each other.

"All I remember. . . . is that my name is Elfriede," she said with a sad tone. "And I. . . . don't want to hurt anyone. . . . ."

The Creature stared at her desolately, for she felt the same way as well. She smiled.  
"My name is Alata. Nice to meet you Elfriede!"

Elfriede stared into her brown eyes. She was so friendly, so kind. She never met anyone like her before.  
They smiled at each other.

They talked a long time while the plane flew throughout the Underworld, past the Passage, and towards the Overworld. They shared secrets, told each other about their hopes and dreams, played a few guessing games and such.

"So, you really aren't a spy?" she tried to confirm.  
She nodded.  
"I promise not to tell anyone and get you home, I promise!" she whispered.  
Elfriede's yellow eyes widened.  
"I understand that Overworlders don't want to fight. I. . . ."  
Elfriede leaned closer, as tears started to slowly drip from her brown eyes.

"I. . . . also do not wish to fight. I *** seeing everyone *** in front of my eyes. The blood, the pain, the misery! I it all. I've seen towns and villages burned, I've *** woman and children! I want to run away, I want to make it stop! But. . . . if I do, my home, my family, and my friends will be destroyed. Chaor knows their location. I was recruited a very long time ago. Drafted."  
She started to cry even harder. Elfriede took her head and placed it on her chest.  
"But in the Overworld, you have a choice. You do not need to be here. Please, don't do this. Don't and go through what I had gone through. I can take you home, so you won't have t your own Tribe mates."

Elfriede closed her eyes as Alata continued to cry on her chest.  
"I'm sorry," she said, "However. . . . I don't remember, and that is the truth."  
Alata let go, wiping away her tears.

"Then I will help you find your memory!" she said boldly.  
Elfriede stared at her gravely. Something was suspicious.

"Why are you so nice to me?" she demanded.  
"Well. . . ." she started, bewildered by the sudden transformation, "you are no doubt the nicest person I've ever met. And besides, you said you didn't want to hurt anyone right?"  
Elfriede gaped, and then smiled.

She was indeed telling the truth.

In his castle, the Overworld ruler sat at his desk, pondering more about that treaty he made with the Danians. He hoped what Raznus said was true. . . .

"MAXXOR!" he heard a guard yell as he burst the door open.  
Maxxor got up immediately. He knew something was wrong.

"An aircraft has been spotted over Kiru City! It looked strange! It was assumed to be an Underworld aircraft! And It's headed towards the Arsenal direction!"  
Maxxor ran with the guard through the halls, whispering under his breath, "Again? It can't be. . . ."  
Intress rushed towards him as he ran past her, "Intress, get a squad and head towards the Arsenal! The Underworlders are in an-!"  
"I know!" she yelled after him.

"This is our stop," Chaor told the pilot. He snickered as the ship hovered over the Arsenal, marveling at his own skills.  
"We must be quick!" Chaor told the squad which was going to raid the Mugic Library.

They jumped, one by one, out the exit with parachutes attached to their backs.  
Elfriede tried to put hers on her back.  
"No! That's on backward!" Alata said as she took it off of her back and put it on correctly.  
"It was upside down I mean," she laughed. Elfriede smiled back.

Alata and Elfriede stared at the city below.  
"That's a far way down!" yelled Elfriede.  
"Don't worry, I've done it a million times! It's not as bad as it looks! Just push this button here and your parachute will make the landing softer!" she yelled back, for the strong winds made it hard to be audible.  
Alata jumped first, and Elfriede closed her eyes and followed.

They all landed near the Arsenal.  
Elfriede looked up as the ship flew in a different direction.  
"All right, Elfriede!" a deep voice came behind her as she turned around.  
Chaor narrowed his blue eyes as he walked towards her.

"Now, I must witness you assassinate an Overworlder," he said.  
She gulped, nervous for the assassination. Was she really going to do it? What if they fight back?  
What if they were stronger than her?

But, she had no time to argue with the Underworld ruler. He threw her the battlegear in which she was supposed to with. She stumbled as she tried holding it up, but successfully held it on her shoulder after a few tries.

Then, a few Underworlders were already heading towards the Mugic Library while Chaor and Elfriede stayed behind. She sweated as she saw them leaving.  
She heard a few clatters of armor coming closer and closer, and she looked back at Chaor. His face was expressionless as his icy eyes stared at her.

Guards in blue came into sight, and Elfriede wanted to run away for her life when she saw the large yellow firearms they were holding, aiming right at her.  
" any one of them, Elfriede," said the deep voice behind her, "any one. . . ."

She stared at them as they ran closer and closer, screaming, " those Underworlders! Stop them at all costs!"  
She froze in place as she could see them clearly.

Then they started to fire.

Lasers of different colors darted in all directions.  
She ignored the Creature behind her and dropped the battlegear hard onto the ground.

She eyed a few buildings to the right and ran towards them.  
Meanwhile Chaor held them off, and headed towards the Mugic Library.

The guards noticed her and continued to pursue her.  
As they surrounded her, she remembered the visions she saw in her dreams.

"Why are you doing this?"  
"Yes. . . . why am I doing this?"  
And he slid the weapon into his throat and fell.

Could these guards possibly think the same way as he?

"Why are you doing this?" she asked them as they had their firearms ready.  
They blinked.

". . . .because you're an Underworlder," one replied.  
"Now surrender, and prepare for death," a hoarse voice called out as they all raised their firearms.

She couldn't help but shiver. She was sweating, she stared at them all.  
She remembered what the Underworld battlegear could do. Was theirs just as powerful?

She felt tears trickling down her cheeks as the hoarse voice called out again.  
"FIRE!"

She felt a strong force knock her over, falling onto the cold, stiff ground.

She opened her eyes as she saw a yellow Creature on top of her.

She could always recognize that brown hair anywhere.

"Alata!" Elfriede cried as she threw her arms around her. Alata was panting, and quickly looked behind them, making sure the guards were far behind.

But they weren't.

The guards were right behind them, pointing their firearms as they ran.  
Alata brought out her gun and fired.

Elfriede hated the sight of the falling Overworlders.

"Why'd you do that?" she asked. "I thought-!"  
"This isn't the time Elfriede! It's either *** or get *** on the battlefield! We can't talk here!"

More tears started pouring out of her golden eyes.  
"Come on! We must move!" Alata yelled as she grabbed her hand and they ran.

They were in a somewhat dark alley. They were both breathing heavily, hoping that there were no guards in this one as well.  
They fell to the ground on their knees out of exhaustion.  
"Now listen Elfriede!" Alata started, as if in a hurry, "I want you to hide here until the Underworlders leave ok? And tell the Overworlders the same thing you told us and they'll take you in!"  
Alata looked at her with somber brown eyes, staring at her pure, innocent expression of confusion and melancholy.  
"They'll. . . . They'll give you a home, a nice warm room with a soft bed, nice food, nice. . . ." she told her in a painful matter, she was shaking and tears poured out from her eyes as well.

"And you won't have to suffer the same horrid fate as I did."

Then, a bright light shone on them.  
"WE'VE BEEN FOUND?!" Alata asked in surprise, blinded by the light.  
"Stop right there, Underworlders!" yelled the guards.

"Hurry Elfriede! Get out of here NOW!" yelled Alata.

It all went by so fast.

She couldn't move. She was so scared. She didn't know what to do.  
She stared at Alata. Her pale yellow skin shining brightly from the bright white lights. Her brown eyes darkened, tearing. The one friend, the only friend she never knew.

She couldn't just leave her behind.

"SHOOT THEM BEFORE THEY GET AWAY!"

Then, a bang was heard.

Elfriede saw the large missile come towards her.

She never saw anything like that in her life.

She felt another strong force push her aside.

Her vision blurred with tears.

Alata.

Elfriede could hear her own heartbeat.

In that very second, the missile seemed to barely touch her side.

She was smiling.

"Elfriede. . . ." she murmured.

Her jaw dropped, as her pupils enlarged.

Her friend laid on the ground, eyes still wide open, blood pouring out onto the cold earth.  
The back of her head was smashed, the large missile still sitting in it, emitting more blood.

Elfriede couldn't help from screaming and crying. She embraced her friend as her knees dropped to the ground.

"ALATA! ALATA! ALATA!"

"Surrender, Underworlder!" she heard a guard behind her say.  
"Just give up!"

"So, that's how it is," she started in that cold, grave tone, not looking behind her, "just shoot someone until their Tribe gives up, no matter who they may be. No matter how much they did not wish to fight. No matter. . . . how much. . . . they went through. . . ." She closed her eyes tightly and clenched her teeth.  
"Even if. . . . they try to save others. . . ."

Her Mugical markings started to have a faint glow, and she set her friend down and stood up and turned towards them.  
The guards waited around her to mourn for her ally, but now they were growing impatient.  
"Fight," they said, "or just take it. We promise your death will be quick."

". . . . you. . . ."  
They heard her say something, but it was muffled.

"What did you say?" they said as they raised their battlegear.  
"I will. . . ." she said softly, but her voice was slightly deeper than previously.

". . . . do the same thing to you. . . ."

"What did she say?" one asked.  
"It doesn't matter!" said the general. "FIRE!"

The lasers and missiles fired, but she only walked closer and closer.

They had no effect.

"She's deflecting the bullets!" they all screamed.  
"Monster!"

Some tried to flee, while a few others continued to fire, her Mugical markings still glowing a faint red.  
She walked closer and closer, looking down forlornly.

"I'll- I'll *** you!" one guard yelled as he ran towards her.  
" ," she said in a menacing voice.

He pursued her, trying to do damage to her with the side of the firearm, she dodged, and quickly threw a punch to his face. He fell, and the gun slipped out of his hands. She caught it, as he wiped the blood off his face and brought himself off the ground.  
She stared at him, eyes overly widened, remembering the face that. . . .

"Yes, you were indeed the one. . . . who shot Alata."

He tried to sprint away from her direction.

She brought up the gun, just like he did.

BANG.

He fell, the large missile in the back of his head like Alata's had been.

Elfriede felt relieved.  
She tossed the gun to the ground, and stared at it with cold eyes.

Someone clapped behind her.  
"Well done, Elfriede," she heard the deep voice say, "I knew you could assassinate an Overworlder."

She turned around to see Chaor, walking into the alley, clapping his hands together.  
They were the only ones left in the alley.  
The rest of the guards fled.

"Now," Chaor started, "let's get moving! Maxxor must know by now that we were never at the Arsenal. We must get that Mugic and head back to the ship before it's too late!"  
"How come you came back? I thought-!"  
"Leave you behind? And let you escape and tell the Overworlders of our mission. Definitely not!"

She stared at him.  
She looked back at the dead guard on the ground.  
"But in the Overworld, you have a choice!" she remembered.  
She looked again at Alata, who laid there.  
"I'll- I'll *** you!"  
"Monster!"

She followed Chaor, and he made a quick smirk and they both sprinted towards the Library.  
They ran past the buildings, one by one, and Chaor blasted any guard who stood in their way.

They soon arrived at the Mugic Library.  
Chaor burst through the doors.  
"Did anyone get the Mugic yet?! We must-!"

But everyone inside were fighting. Underworlders and Overworlders.  
"CHAOR!"  
They turned around.

The large, muscular, green Overworld leader stood behind them, outside the Library doors.  
"Another trick like that won't us again!" he yelled, arms on his waists.

Maxxor stared at the Creature who was with Chaor.  
At first, Maxxor thought she was a human, but after a glimpse at the Mugical markings he knew that she was a Creature.  
She stared at him back, but didn't know what to make out of him.

"Elfriede," Chaor yelled to her, " this guy while I get the Mugic!"  
"Oh no you don't!" yelled Maxxor as he ran towards him, but Elfriede stopped in front of him.

They both narrowed their eyes.  
He attacked her as her Mugical markings started to glow, and the attack was deflected.  
His eyes widened, and he attacked her more, and her face was expressionless, and she continued to deflected them and took no damage.  
She came closer and closer to him, but he sprinted towards her.  
She took out her fist and threw it into his stomach.

Blood came out threw his mouth as he fell backwards.

He never faced a Creature this strong in his life.

What was she?

It couldn't.

Not possible.

She. . . .

Maxxor looked up at her with a terrified and stunned look on his face.

"Who. . . . are. . . . you?" he asked.

"Hmm?" she smiled. Her Mugical markings' glow started to fade.  
"My name is. . . . Elfri-!"  
"LET'S GO! NOW!" Chaor screamed as he and his band of Underworlders followed.  
She looked down at Maxxor, who was badly injured.  
He tried to get up, but was struggling.

"COME ON!" Chaor yelled as his hand tightly held her arm in a mighty grasp, "IF WE STALL ANY LONGER THE WHOLE OVERWORLD ARMY WILL COME! HURRY!"  
She went with him, still staring at the injured ruler of the Overworld.

They all hurried away out of Maxxor's sight.

"It couldn't be. . . ." he murmured. "It can't be! It can't be!"  
"MAXXOR!" Intress yelled, running to his side, "Are you alright?!"  
"Chaor just got away!"  
"I know, the army is chasing him down. Hopefully we can catch him this time!"  
But he knew it was too late.

He got up once his injuries were slightly better, and Intress was gone, fighting the Underworlders. But they were useless, Maxxor knew.  
He cursed and blasted at the wall of the Library.  
"Why?! WHY?!" he yelled.  
"Maxxor," Intress coughed out, coming back with the army behind her. They were all injured and bruised.

"They got away."  
He banged his hand against the wall, and Intress couldn't do anything but stare at him dejectedly.

As they headed towards the castle in disappointment, Maxxor thought about his previous fight.  
"My name. . . . is Elfri-!"  
What could her full name be, he thought, and why was she with Chaor?  
Why hasn't he ever heard of her?

Then it hit him.

He stopped, and shivered.  
"Maxxor, what's wrong?" questioned Intress.

"We. . . . must to go Mommark. . . . right away. . . ."  
Intress gasped.

They arrived at the Overworld prison.  
They walked by all the bars, paying no attention to the pleas and the cries of the prisoners to let them out.

"Mommark!" Maxxor yelled as he grasped one of the bars.  
The scientist looked down miserably, not making one word.  
Maxxor looked up on the wall, and saw many equations and weird scientific patterns drawn with possibly a white chalk.

"Mommark!" Maxxor yelled again.  
Mommark made no hesitation to even bother looking up.  
"You should have been *** before! After all of your creations failed and went to the Underworld! NOW THE MOST DANGEROUS CREATION IS ALLIED WITH CHAOR AND JUST ATTACKED THE MUGIC LIBRARY!"  
That made Mommark flinch. He cowered in fear as he looked up at Maxxor.

"I'm sorry!" he cried, "But I have a way to defeat her!"  
"I don't believe you," Maxxor said coldly.  
"I can make a creation stronger than Elfriede!"

Maxxor's eyes widened in interest, and he looked at him curiously.

"What are your plans?"


	7. Chapter 7: Deceit

CHAPTER 7: Deceit

The artifact's glare shone from beneath the natural sunlight coming from outside the window. Outside, many Mipedian children were playing happily and cheerfully.  
But the archeologist ignored the distraction outside. He studied the relic carefully, deep in thought.  
He had many questions, but the few that seemed to be reappearing where, why was it so round? How come it is barely scratched, even though it was hidden deep within the city of Kehn-Sep? What was its purpose. . . ?  
There were no ancient texts that explained what this was, but he was sure that this object wasn't just some part of a decoration.  
It was a light brown sphere, which seemed to emit an eerie grayish glow. He knew for sure that it couldn't have been the Khilaian Sphere, for it remained with the M'arrillians ever since they took it. Maybe this was a replica, he thought to himself many times, but so far he didn't sense any mind-controlling presence. He stared at it carefully, and turned it around with one hand, looking for any more clues.  
He sighed.  
"Well, I guess I have no other choice but to break this open," he said quietly to himself as he got up.  
He walked over towards his work room, where he kept all of his tools. He walked up the wooden stairs, creaking the whole way up. He had thought about getting them replaced, but wood is very rare in Al Mipedim.  
But as he finished the climb up the stairs, he froze.

In his work room, the door was opened wide. He never left any of his doors open.  
This could only mean that either a Mipedian was in there, or maybe a robber. Taffial didn't know what to think.  
He cautiously walked towards the room, trying not to make one noise on the wooden floor.  
He crept closer, and closer. . . .

He stopped before he could look in the room. He took a large, but quiet inhale, wishing that he had invisibility.

Then, he peered into the room.

A human with spiky auburn hair, loose red shirt and jeans stood there, back facing the Mipedian.

His fears gone, the Mipedian stood in the doorway. What did this human want? A scan? To learn secrets about Perim?

The boy turned around, and blue eyes meeting his russet ones.  
They just both stared at each other for a long period of time.

"Um," Taffial started, "what are you doing here?"  
The human jumped, and put a hand behind his head and laughed nervously.  
"Um. . . . Hi. . . . I'm Jake. . . . heh-heh," said the boy.  
Taffial raised an eyebrow in curiosity.  
He looked at him more nervously than before, as if he regretted what he just previously said.  
So he started again, "Yeah, so, you know C-Corinne, right? Well, um, I'm her friend, Jacob, or, you c-can c-call me, Jake."  
Taffial's eyes widened at the name of "Corinne." So, this human was a friend of Corinne, he thought. He could feel this burning sensation dwelling deep within him. He felt like he was going to puke, or burst. He couldn't exactly tell what this feeling meant.  
Jake smiled very large, showing all of his teeth.  
Taffial stared at him again. Was he trying to impress him? Why? Is he thinking of getting some sort of scan, because he's friends with Corinne and he thinks he can get his hands on whatever he wanted?  
He couldn't help but feel hatred for this "Jake." Why did he come there?  
So he started, "Why- err, that's not the right question- HOW did you get here?"  
"I ported, duh!"  
"Well, human! What are you doing here?"  
"Why are you so mad?"  
"Because we're not getting ANYWHERE! And, I'm in a hurry to study about this." He then held up the artifact boldly.  
Then, Jake looked at it and started to laugh.  
"What's so funny?"  
"Nothing," he suddenly stopped laughing, "Anyway, you know C-Corinne right?"  
Taffial paused. What was with Corinne? And how come she's not there with him?  
"Yes. . . ." he said cautiously, "She is a good secret keeper for a human, and what is with her?"  
He regretted saying that she was a good secret keeper, but focused on Jake's reaction to the question.

Jake looked around, shaking. His eyes started to widen, and his skin turned pale.  
The Mipedian stared at him in worry.  
Jake took a large breath, and Taffial's eyes narrowed.  
They both stared gravely at each other.

"Corinne had told me about the castle you visited," he said.

Taffial's eyes widened, and a sudden shock ran through him.  
"I promise," is what Corinne had said. After all this time, could she had been lying to him?

"Go on. . . ." he then told him, staring at him gravely.  
Jake gulped, and then started again, "Then, she said that we should go there and check it out, you know, since you didn't find anything. So, we eventually went in there and we got separated, Corinne fell into this-this hole and I was trying to get out of the castle, but-"  
This was all going too fast for Taffial. He couldn't believe what he was saying! Corinne would never tell him the story of the castle! And Corinne fell into a hole? What was this? A prank to try and scare him? Maybe one of the Mipedians told him that he liked her and told the human to come and scare him, or convice him that something bad happened to her so he'll find someone else!  
Taffial could feel his red scales burn.  
Jake then looked to the side quickly and looked back at him, and said quickly, "the wind blew the doors shut and I turned around, and, and Corinne, she fell out of the top floor and she- she- she. . . ."  
"She was. . . ?" Taffial inquired.

Jake suddenly stopped, and looked up in fear, his blue eyes darted back and forth, as if remembering something. Maybe he was telling the truth, Taffial thought. Looking like that, maybe he did see that horrid castle.  
But what happened to Corinne?

"She was dead," he coughed out.

"DEAD?!" Taffial yelled, and dropped his stone. It broke into two. But he still stared at Jake, not noticing what happened to his precious artifact. "Dead. . . . but how. . . ?" he was now staring above him. He was in a daze. "H-how could she. . . ?" he said faintly, then looked back at Jake, swallowed and said to him in a stronger, serious voice, "I told her not to tell ANYONE! Counting humans! I told her NEVER to speak of that, that castle, and never, never dare to enter it! How dare she! She promised me!"  
He then turned around and shut the door behind him.

Was what he was really saying true? Did Corinne actually die?  
Taffial couldn't help but think of her death. That beautiful azure hair, those memorizing emerald eyes.  
Gone.

Tears started to pour out of his eyes.  
Even if this human WAS lying, he couldn't help but think of the fact that she is gone.

Corinne must have told him. SHE is the only human who knows of the castle. Not even his comrades would dare tell a human.  
Perhaps Jake was telling the truth. . . .

"Thank you," he sniffled from behind the doors, "Thank you, for telling me about this."  
He heard the human sigh, in relief and in disappointment.

He can't be lying, Taffial thought. He must be telling the truth. Because, why else would he come there? He must have knew that Taffial and her were friends, because that's what it seemed from the beginning.

Then, he felt another shock run through him.

Corinne was dead.

She's gone, from Perim, forever.

He felt more warm tears come down his face. This was the end. The one he most loved. . . . And she was young, too. . . .

The Mipedian burst the door open in anger, staring at that human.  
"Why?! Why didn't you go after her when she fell into the hole?! Why did you look for the EXIT?! And not CORINNE?! You are not a good friend you are a monster!" he screamed with all of his might.  
Jake tried to mumble something, but Taffial interrupted, "YOU COULD HAVE SAVED HER! YOU COULD HAVE TOLD HER NOT TO GO INTO THE CASTLE! YOU COULD HAVE NOT LET HER DIE!"

He breathed heavily. That was rash of him to come to conclusions like that. He felt regretful.  
"I'm sorry," he said in a hoarse voice, after looking at the human, who was petrified, and his eyes started to water.  
"You're right," Jake then said in an apologetic tone, "I should have forced her not to go, and she wouldn't listen to me! She really wanted to know what was inside. . . . Did she see like, a map or something, you had?"  
"What kind of map?"  
"Of the castle! Did you give her one maybe?"  
"No. . . . We planned NEVER to go to that place again, after so many fellow Mipedians died. So no, I did not make a map of that horrid place!"  
"Well, she seemed like she was walking around in there like she knew where she was going."  
"She always does that, she looks like she knows the new place inside and out, but, in reality, she doesn't. She must like you for her to act like that," he then chuckled to himself, "She would do that in front of me sometimes, even though I knew the way better than her." He then looked at the floor and picked up the shattered stone, and realized that his comrades would be stopping by soon.  
"I think you should go now, they are coming soon," he then said in a hurry.

"Hey! Taffial! What's taking you so long? We want to know what that stone is all about!" said one of the Mipedians behind the door in a deep, rough voice. Both of them jumped.  
"Hurry!" Taffial said as he pushed Jake toward the corner of the room, "Port out using your device! If they find you in my work chamber they won 't like it!"  
Jake hurriedly did so, and was enveloped in blue numbers and letters. Then he vanished.

Taffial stared at the place he once was, and wondered if he really was telling the truth.

He finally concluded that he had, because Jake asked nothing of him, and only told him that Corinne had died.

Dead.

That word echoed through his mind.

The Mipedians quickly opened the door, and Taffial turned around, with the broken pieces in his hands.  
They all stared at the pieces in shock, not making one word.  
Taffial's eyes suddenly widened as he noticed it was broken.  
"It was very slippery," he quickly lied, "it fell out of my hands and broke!"

"Well hurry it up Taffial! Because we're under attack by Underworlders!"

He worked hard in his study, trying to fix the broken relic. It was very hard to format it all back into a sphere again, and so far he had barely any luck. But what help would it do if he DID fix it? It might have not had any powers in the first place.  
He set everything down, and stared at the wall. His friends needed him. What help would a broken artifact do? It couldn't do anything. And why were they under attack by Underworlders? For land, probably. But the Underworlders must have had something new to try on the attack.  
He quickly got up and headed towards the closed door.  
He stopped.  
He hoped that none of his comrades would get mad at him for giving up the artifact.  
But he knew it was worthless, and turned the door k.***.

It was enormous.  
Khybon's newest battlegear stood before the Mipedians. It was almost as large as a warbeast, and the black and red painted machine fired many missiles, all darting in different directions, painting Al Mipedim's sands crimson.  
"WHAT IS THAT THING?!" Taffial gasped.  
"That," his friend replied, "is Khybon's so called 'Underworld Warbeast.' I have no idea how it's like a Warbeast though. But it's pretty big. . . ."  
Taffial stared at it in awe. It kept moving.  
Moving towards the Oasis.  
"We've got to stop this thing!" another of his comrades yelled out to them.  
"But how?" Taffial asked, running up to him.  
"Khybon is over there controlling it, look!"  
He pointed to where the Underworlder was. He was surrounded by an army of Underworlders, who were fighting the Mipedians.  
"They're heading towards the Oasis!" Taffial yelled.  
"We know! But it'll take a while before the army can get here!"  
Taffial bit his lip. There had to be way to beat that Underworld Warbeast.  
It had cannons on all sides, and it spun around, shooting wherever a Mipedian came, invisible or not.  
Taffial and his two comrades quickly dodged the explosion the Underworld Warbeast fired.

"That was close!" one of them yelled.  
"Guys!" Taffial decided, "I think I have a way to beat this thing!"  
"How?"  
"Remember when we went to Odille's castle, and it kept destroying all the Creatures who went inside it?"  
They nodded.  
"Well if we-!"  
"A castle, huh?"

It was a voice that was slightly squeaky, but the tone was average.

They quickly turned around, to see an Underworlder behind them.

Khybon.

"But! You were over there!" one said as Taffial and the other fired.  
He dodged the attacks.  
"Tell me more about this castle! It will *** any Creature that enters! How interesting! I think Chaor will be pleased!"

Then, he ordered his army to seize their fire.  
Everyone stopped, and the army came towards them.

The Mipedians kept their guard, wondering what Khybon was up to now.

"CAPTURE THEM!" he ordered, and the Mipedians started to fire.  
Then, the Underworld Warbeast spun, and the cannons were aimed at Taffial and his comrades. Out from the cannon, shot nets, and Taffial and only one of his friends dodged it.

Taffial and a few of his friends kept running, and kept running. The ones who could turn invisible did so and they ran towards the Oasis as well.

Taffial stopped and turned around. His friends did the same.  
"I think they're gone," he said.  
"How come you didn't fix that artifact?" one asked. "With that we could have won!"  
"No!" Taffial argued back, "I couldn't find out what it did! It does nothing!"  
"But it must have some sort of power! I thought you said in the texts they said that it was special!"  
"I thought they did! Maybe I translated it wrong!"  
"Translated it wrong!" another Mipedian mocked, "What a pathetic excuse! We trusted you because we thought you knew what you were doing! And now it ended up like this!"  
"Yeah, so many of our friends were lost because of you, Taffial! Now they're captured by that Khybon!"  
"It's all your fault because now they're going to be tortured and forced to reveal Al Mipedim's secrets!"

Taffial looked down, then back at his loyal friend who stood right next to him.  
His companion also looked down, shaking his head.  
Taffial looked hopefully at him.  
"I'm sorry, Taffial," he said as he walked off with the rest.

He himself walked in the different direction, back to his home, a little ways outside the Oasis. He looked up at the bright blue sky, the sunlight still bright. He dragged along, the heat blazing. He was tired, and defeated.  
He thought to himself. He remembered what his friends told him at Odille's castle. He remembered what they just told him.  
"She was dead," he remembered Jake saying.

He covered his mouth, and tears poured down. He wished he could turn invisible, even though barely any Mipedians were around.  
He felt something come up his throat, but nothing came out.

He was responsible.  
He was responsible for everything.  
It was all his fault.  
He knew he should have stayed and worked on the artifact.  
But he was too worried.

He let his friends die.  
He let them die in Odille's castle.  
They're going to die and be tortured now because of him.  
Because of him and his ludicrous archeology.  
It was not worth it.  
He had made a big mistake.

And now she's dead.  
The one he had loved the most. . . .

"I should have never existed."


	8. Chapter 8: Survey

CHAPTER 8: Survey

"WHAT?!" the Underworld ruler bellowed. "What is the meaning of this, Khybon?" he asked, looking at the tied up Mipedians, who looked down solemnly, as Khybon presented them to Chaor.  
"My lord, let me explain!" Khybon pleaded. "I heard these Mipedians speaking of something or someone that could possibly be related to the Cothica itself!"  
Chaor, who sat alone, stared at the Creature with grave blue eyes. Khybon quickly turned towards the Mipedians. They did not look back at him, and kept their heads low.  
"Chaor, I swear to you I'm telling the truth! They know of something that could threat us!" he said, looking back up at him with all three eyes.  
Chaor sat back, and said thoughtfully, "I guess we couldn't let them keep a secret to us. . . . I agree. I think we should question them right away."  
"This minute?"  
"Right now."  
Khybon nodded, and ordered the red guards to leave and retrieve the items. They left through the large black doors, and some of the Mipedians flinched when they slammed back shut.

The Underworld leader eyed them all, looking at every single Mipedian that stood there, right in front of him; prisoners.  
Just merely prisoners, he thought. They don't even deserve to waste his precious time, however, he needed to know the secrets which they all held.

But what kind of secrets?

Chaor leaned forward, staring at the Mipedians that began to shake.  
"There's no need to hide your secrets," he told them in his low, grave voice, "If you just tell us what they are, we'll you painlessly. If you don't. . . ."  
The Mipedians heard clattering from behind the doors, coming closer, and closer, louder and louder.  
Chaor sneered and chuckled a bit.  
"Then we'll have to force you to."

The Mipedians all looked at each other fearfully.

But then, to Chaor's surprise, their eyes narrowed with determination, and smiled.  
What? Did they think they could possibly leave? The Underworld is filled with guards, and Khybon is coming with all of the torture items, Chaor thought.

He stared again at the Mipedians who smiled at each other. They were all battered, and horribly wounded, wearing their typical Mipedian armor and their ripped loincloth.  
There were seven of them, and each of them were different colors, some were red, yellow, beige, and brown.

Then, one of the brown Mipedians whispered something in the other Mipedian's ear.  
Chaor's eye twitched.  
"KHYBON!" he roared.  
Khybon suddenly burst through the door, dragging many equipment behind him.  
"Yes, my lord?" he quickly questioned.  
"Start with that one!" Chaor yelled as he pointed to the brown one which whispered. The Mipedian snickered and stepped forward among the line.  
"What's so funny?" Chaor asked quickly.  
"Well," the Mipedian coolly responded, "if we do indeed tell you the truth, I'm afraid you. . . . and your Tribe. . . . will all die."  
"WHAT?!" Chaor yelled and went straight up into his face. "What do you mean by that you little-!?"  
"You know exactly what I mean. If we tell you anything. You will die."  
"No, I'm afraid you are confused," Chaor laughed, "If you don't tell us your secrets, you will be tortured. If you do, you can die painlessly. Understand? Comprehend, you Mipedian?"  
A flame started in Chaor's fist, as he stared at the Mipedian who simply smiled at him, and did not answer.

"O. . . . Odille. . . ." one of the Mipedians nervously spoke. Chaor went straight up to him. The pale yellow Mipedian was the only one who shook now, and his dark green eyes stared up at the Underworld ruler, frightened.  
"Odille?" Chaor asked.  
"Lord Chaor, they spoke of this 'Odille' and I think that it could be related to the Cothica, because they were trying to use tactics that they used against it against us!"  
"I see," Chaor said.  
"Yes," agreed the shaking Mipedian, who was white now. "She's a ghost who dwells in a castle out in the middle of the desert! She will anyone who dares enter! Trust me, my lord, I've seen her! She has a light purple dress and long silver hair, and a malicious smile as she killed many of our comrades!" He gulped. "Please! That's all I know!"  
Tears started to form in his eyes.  
"Now me! I had enough! I want to die! Please, Chaor, the almighty ruler of the Underworld! me! ME!"

Everyone stared at him, eyes wide.  
"I've heard of the awful torture practices that the Underworlders use," he sniffed, "I heard that they will make you do things so that you will go crazy before you die, that they will make you do many, many things. . . ." He stared off into nowhere.  
Chaor nodded.  
"That is correct," Chaor said. " him."

One of the guards went from the door and towards the pale yellow Mipedian, and brought up his pyroblaster.  
More tears started to form in his dark green eyes.  
"I love you, Dre-!"  
And he was covered in flames before he could finish her name.

The Mipedians watched in horror as he was turned to dust, burning and screaming in the process.  
Chaor and Khybon stared, emotionless.

"Only six more to go," Khybon whispered to himself.

"Alright," Chaor said to the remaining Mipedians, "If all of you speak now, you can die even more painlessly that your friend there." They stared at the dust, and back at Chaor.  
But the brown Mipedian continued to laugh.

"I see there is no way to not amuse you," Chaor said as he went up to the brown Mipedian. "Now I think we will torture you last, because you are starting to get on my nerves!"  
The Mipedian chuckled.  
Then his red eyes abruptly widened as he laughed hysterically, "Don't you see? He just told you that you're going to die!"  
"What?"  
"Anyone who dares enters her castle will be inevitably ," said a beige Mipedian gravely. "That is the truth."  
Chaor stared at them thoughtfully.  
"But. . . . Khybon just said that you used certain 'tactics' that you used against this Odille. And that Mipedian agreed," Chaor said as he pointed to the dust, which the guards were now sweeping up.  
"We did not say anything about tactics," stated the beige Mipedian.  
"Alright then," Chaor sneered. "Khybon. Let's take care of this one first."  
"Yes," Khybon agreed as he turned toward the equipment.  
The guards untied the beige Mipedian, and shoved him forward, and he almost tripped over his tail.  
They kept pushing him forward until he dropped to his knees in front of Chaor, Khybon, and the equipment. He looked back at his comrades nervously, and all of them back at him, expect for the smiling brown one.  
"Look at me," Chaor said.  
The Mipedian did so; blue eyes staring at each other.

"You will tell us the tactics," the Underworld ruler said, "or else we are going to pour this acid on your face."  
Khybon held up a large bucket, with a clear substance in it.

The Mipedian's blue eyes stared fearfully at it, but forced them shut.  
"Never."

The guards held his shoulders as he struggled to be free from their grasp. Khybon came closer and closer, and Chaor took the bucket out from his hand.  
"WHAT WERE THE TACTICS?" Chaor screamed as he threw the burning acid on the Mipedian's face.

The Mipedian screamed in agony, "MY EYES! MY EYES! MY EYES!" as he covered them with his hands and dropped to the ground. The guards forced him up, grabbing his shoulders roughly.  
"What were the tactics that you were going to use against us?" Chaor asked.

The Mipedian continued to cover and rub his eyes, murmuring, "I can't see," "It's all dark," "My eyes. . . ."  
"If you answer the question, we can put you out of your misery," Chaor said. "Khybon, get me another bucket."  
"No, please!" the Mipedian pleaded, "Not again!"

"I heard that Mipedians can do well without their eyes," Chaor said. "This must mean that this is all an act."  
"No please!"  
"Just answer the question, and all the pain will go away."  
The Mipedian breathed hard.  
"What were the tactics used in the castle that were planned to use against us?"  
The Mipedian swallowed and said nothing.  
"Alright. Again."

As the Mipedian screamed more, Khybon wondered why Chaor didn't ask about the castle and Odille, but merely the tactics that were going to be used against the Underworlders.

The Mipedian coughed, and soon vomited.  
"Please! Chaor! No more!" the Mipedian screamed.  
"What were the tactics?"  
"No more!"  
"What were the tactics?"  
"Please!"  
"What were the tactics?"  
"I'll- I'll tell you everything! Just make it stop!"

"Alright. Now tell me," Chaor said as the guards dropped the Mipedian. "What were the tactics that were planned to use against us?"  
The Mipedian grunted, and said faintly, ". . . . Invisibility. . . . Speed. . . ."

Chaor's eyes widened.  
"BRING ME ANOTHER BUCKET KHYBON!"  
"No! Please! NO MORE!"  
"He's telling the truth!" the other Mipedians yelled. "We planned to use invisibility and speed in Odille's castle! Just stop torturing him!"  
"So you can't handle to see your friend tortured?" Chaor asked. "Well I'm glad you told me the truth."  
He then said to the blinded and burnt Mipedian, "Thank you. Now you can die. After another bucket."

The acid poured all over his horned head, burning the scales and cracking the horns, melting all over his beige body, through his broken armor and through any of the cloth which was left. He felt it seeping through his skin, burning every muscle, he could not stop the pain.

His burnt eyes opened, and as he dropped to the floor once more, he said in a faint, soft voice to the ruler, "Even if you know the tactics it will not prevent your death."  
His eyes closed, and he stopped breathing.

"Chaor, may I speak to you?" Khybon questioned.  
"What is it, Khybon?"  
"Well, I think we must seize this 'Odille' or whatever because like I said before it might be related to the Cothica."  
"I know, Khybon."  
"Then how come you were only asking about the tactics?"  
"Because, they are sure that we're going to die, not them, because they survived if they went to the castle didn't they?"

Chaor went up to the line of the Mipedians.  
"Invisibility and speed. I think my soldiers will use that. Thank you," he said as he paced around the line.  
"But now," he said as he suddenly stopped, and turned to a red Mipedian. "Where could the castle be I wonder?"  
"It's in the middle of the desert," replied the red Mipedian.  
"Where?" Chaor demanded as he leaned closer.  
"I'm. . . . not sure."  
"Khybon. This one is next."  
The green creature nodded and went to the equipment.  
Chaor stared into his yellow eyes, which were darting in all directions, which reminded him of Elfriede.

"My lord, is this good enough?" Khybon asked as he presented a drill.  
Chaor smiled.  
"It's perfect."

Chaor ordered the guards to place the Mipedian on a table, and lock tight his neck, wrists, stomach, and ankles.  
Khybon gave Chaor the drill, and he said, "You know, Khybon I think it would have been better if you did this yourself."  
"But Lord Chaor, I only like to drill machines, and besides that I don't feel like getting dirty today."  
"I see."  
The Mipedian tried to wiggle out of the locks, and his tail moved about under his legs.  
"There's no use in trying to escape," Chaor said.  
"Do you know what this machine does?" Khybon asked as Chaor gave him the drill and placed it onto the machine above the Mipedian.  
"It's going to drill your eye out."

The Mipedian gasped and said, "I don't need one eye. A Mipedian can see even without both eyes."  
"What?" Khybon asked excitedly, "You want us to drill out both of your eyes? Alright!"  
He took the remote and started dialing commands to the machine.

"Let's not have too much fun, Khybon. This is only the fifth one," said Chaor.  
"So let's get straight to the question," he said to the Mipedian.

"Where is the castle?"  
The Mipedian looked nervously at the drill, which started to buzz.

"I honestly don't remember! It was in the middle of the desert, and it was blazing hot!" He sweated.  
"Wasn't there anything around it? Some sort of plant, or anything distinct?"  
"Well," the Mipedian looked up, trying to recall the time when the Mipedians went to the castle, "I remember. . . . There was this one cactus. . . . and it had unusually sharp needles. . . ."  
"That is all?"  
"That is all."  
"Well, there are a lot of cactuses with sharp needles in the desert. Lower the drill."  
The drill lowered near his right eye, and he tried to look away as the buzzing got louder.

"Where is the castle?" Chaor asked again.  
"I told you!" the Mipedian yelled.  
"Lower the drill."  
The buzzing got even louder.  
I'm just going to die anyway, the Mipedian thought.

"I'll never tell you."  
"Lower the drill."

The spinning drill was now only a few centimeters away from the yellow eye, which was looking in the direction of his fellow comrades, which some watched in horror, others turned their heads, and the brown one who continued to laugh.

"Lower the drill."

Blood squirted out from the Mipedian's eye socket as the drill continued through. The Mipedian shrieked piercingly and the other Mipedians had to turn away.

"Aww, and I couldn't even poke out his other eye," Khybon complained, as they both stared at the Mipedian who did not move.

"Well that was a waste," Chaor said. Then he turned to the line.  
"I guess there wasn't anything distinct about the location of the castle at all," he said to them, "Just desert, and the one cactus with unusually sharp needles. . . . Imagine those, very sharp needles. . . ."  
He stopped at two golden-yellow Mipedians, who looked very alike in appearance.  
"You two," Chaor said as he stopped. "You two look very alike."  
"That's because we're twins, sir," one of them said.  
"Then I should ask you two the same question."  
They looked at each other, their emerald eyes locked for a second, and back at Chaor.  
"What is Odille?"  
"Odille?" one of them asked. "I didn't even get to see Odille!"  
"I did," the other one said, "And she was a ghost that killed everyone."  
"A ghost?" Chaor asked. "I don't believe that!"  
"Well I saw what I saw. And what I saw was a ghost! She was translucent and everything! Our attacks even went through her!"  
"A ghost. . . . But did she have any connection to the Cothica?"  
"How was I supposed to know that? She was KILLING everyone! I was running for my life, not looking for the Cothica you -!"

"You have some nerve," said Khybon, "calling the almighty ruler of the Underworld such words."  
"I think we should torture this one," Chaor said as he pointed to the one who didn't see Odille, "And let the other one suffer by watching his own brother be tormented until he answers truthfully. I don't believe in ghosts."  
"I agree," said Khybon.  
"But I told you the truth!" the Mipedian yelled.  
"Then how come you're still here, if she killed 'everyone?'" Chaor asked as he was choosing the torture items.  
The Mipedians did not answer.

"You," Chaor said to the innocent twin, "come here."  
The guards pushed him towards Chaor as his brother reached out for him.

"Do you like needles?"  
The twin gasped and squirmed under the guards' grasp.  
"Please! No! Don't hurt my brother! He didn't see anything!"  
"That's the point," Chaor said, "you will answer the question for him." He turned to the innocent Mipedian.  
"Ok. Tell him. Tell your twin to tell the truth so that we won't hurt you," Chaor said.  
"I don't want to turn against my own brother!"  
"Well it looks like you have to," Khybon said, "do it."  
Their emerald eyes looked at each other.  
"Don't tell them."  
"Please! Stop! Don't hurt him! I've told you everything!"

"Bring out his hand," Chaor commanded.  
They guards forced his hand out, and he curled it into a fist.  
Khybon asked Chaor which and how many needles to use, while the two twins' eyes remained on each other.

"Turn his hand over," Khybon ordered, and the guards turned it over towards the backside.  
Khybon took seven tiny needles and held up the first one, and stabbed it right in the middle.

The Mipedian cried, and Khybon used the drill side of his arm to hammer the needle deeper into the skin and muscle. Tears started to pour out of his emerald eyes.  
"Heh," Chaor said, not amused, "This is only the first needle and he's already crying."  
"NO! Stop torturing him! I've told you! Odille is a ghost! And I don't know if she is related to the Cothica! I HAVE NO IDEA! JUST STOP!"  
He tried to run to his brother, but four guards quickly held him back.

"I don't believe in ghosts. Again."

"Why?" the innocent one asked, with fourteen needles hammered into his hand.  
"Why, brother? Did you betray me?"  
"What? What do you mean?"  
The two twins stared at each other.  
"Well, you were always better at me in everything. You even got assigned the mission to go inside Odille's castle. You always thought you were better than me."  
"What do you mean?"  
"You're probably laughing on the inside at me. Laughing at me while I get fourteen needles placed in my hand. You think that just by standing there, not being tortured, that you're better than me."  
"You're wrong! That's not true! I tried to tell him but Chaor won't believe me!"  
"NO! I think that you're wrong! You probably. . . . are lying."  
"Why would I lie?!"  
"Because you WANT to see me tortured! You WANT to see me this way so that you can put yourself higher up, that you will always be better than me!"  
"No! That's not true! I'm not lying! And I don't want to see you tortured like this! Believe me, I'm being tortured myself just by watching you!"  
"LIAR!"  
He stared at his tormented brother sadly.  
". . . . I you. . . ."  
"What?"  
"I YOU! I ALWAYS DID AND ALWAYS WILL! YOU ARE GOING TO WATCH ME HAVE THE NEXT SET OF SEVEN BE PLACED IN MY HAND! THERE'S NO WAY I COULD HAVE A BROTHER LIKE YOU!"  
Tears formed in his eyes. "You're wrong! You're my-!"  
"Enough of that 'you're my brother' crud! You think you're better than me and that makes you happy! It's the only thing that does!"  
"Then I you too! Because you always wanted the things that I have! You always wanted to take everything away from me!"  
"That's because you thought you're better than me!"

"Let go of them," Chaor whispered to the guards.  
"Chaor are you crazy?" Khybon asked, but Chaor remained silent.

The guards let go of the twins and they dashed towards each other, delivering punches, kicks, and attacks.  
The tormented twin yanked out the needles in his hand and started throwing them at his brother, and the other twin caught some of the needles and started throwing them back at his brother.

"I YOU!" were the last words they both said.

They both, at once, placed a giant needle in their chests, and pressed harder and harder, until they both fell to the ground.

"Now that was amusing," Chaor said to himself.  
"But wasn't that just a waste of time?" Khybon asked.

"Chaor. . . . just drove them both crazy. . . . so that. . . . they could destroy each other for him. . . ." a red-orange Mipedian whispered to himself as the brown one continued to laugh.

"You," Chaor said finally to the red-orange Mipedian.  
"What is my question?" he asked.  
"Are Odille and the castle related to the Cothica?"  
"I am going to tell you truthfully, and you may not believe me, but it is to clear my conscience, and to prove what an awful leader you are. When I entered the castle, all I could see was Mipedians dying, and blood everywhere. I did not even see Odille. Odille might even be just an illusion because of all the death that occurs. I did not see anything else. So if the Cothica is death, then yes. If the Cothica is not, then no."  
"WHAT?!" Chaor yelled.  
"What is the Cothica?" asked the Mipedian as he stepped forward, "If you don't even know what the Cothica is, why are you asking me that question?"  
"Because you can tell. . . . if it really is the Cothica."  
"What is?"

The Mipedian awoke on a table like that of the red Mipedian, except the wrists, neck, and ankles were tied to ropes.  
"You dare mock me," Chaor said, "I'm going to make you pay for that."  
"I did not mean to mock you. Not even I know what the Cothica is. Torture me all you want, but I swear you are just wasting your time."  
"It won't for anyone who talks like that."

Chaor gave the signal and the guards pulled the ropes. The Mipedian felt his limbs stretching, but knew that it was all going to be over soon.  
The guards stopped and Chaor went over towards the Mipedian.  
"Do you regret saying what you did?"  
"Saying what?"

Chaor and Khybon stared at the body, the gaps bleeding where the limbs should have been.  
"There's only one more, Lord Chaor," Khybon reminded.  
"I should have questioned him first," said Chaor, "I'm starting to get bored."

They walked towards him, and the brown Mipedian was still laughing.  
"I honestly don't see why you are laughing," Chaor said.  
"Because. . . ." he chuckled, "You're going to die. . . ."  
"I don't know what you mean. Look at all of your friends. They're all dead. Only you remain."  
"You're going to die, you're going to die," he sang.  
Chaor seized his neck roughly and held him up high in anger.  
"I've had enough of you!" Chaor yelled in fury.  
"You're going to die, you're going to die," he continued to sing.  
A flame started in Chaor's other fist again, expect hotter than before.

"We all told you the truth," said the final Mipedian, "because we know. . . . that you are going to be tortured and killed like we all were."

Chaor breathed heavily as the brown Mipedian lied on the ground, half covered in ashes, soaked in blood, still smiling.

"Khybon," Chaor said.  
"Yes, my lord?"  
"Dispose all of the bodies. Get rid of all of the equipment, for now. And send H'earring to me."  
Khybon nodded and ordered the guards to take away to bodies and the torture items. Then he went out the main doors.

After a while, as the guards were still taking things out of the room, a little green creature walked in through the doors, looking around cautiously with large blue eyes.  
What could have happened here? He thought to himself.  
He spotted the guards taking what looked like many needles out of the room. That made him shake with fear.  
"H'earring!" Chaor yelled.  
"Yes. . . . Chaor?" H'earring asked, head still looking to where the needles went.  
"H'earring!"  
"What?" he asked impatiently, looking back at Chaor.  
"Go to Al Mipedim and try to get all the information you can on Odille and her castle. See how powerful they are and if they have any correlation to the Cothica."  
"Yes, sir," H'earring squeaked as he turned around and quickly ran before he could see anything more like those needles.

Chaor sank back into his chair, as Takinom came into the room.  
"Chaor, what-?"  
"I need you to do something for me, Takinom," he ordered before she could say anything.  
"What can I do, Chaor?"  
"I need you to go to Al Mipedim, and find a castle in which that a ghost is supposedly to haunt and destroy anyone who enters."  
She raised an eyebrow.  
"Make sure that that's true, and see if it is related to the Cothica."

Her face turned red.  
"But Chaor! Why do I have to do it?! I suggest we test that Elfriede and see how actually powerful she is!"  
"I agree," Chaor said, "You and Elfriede will go tomorrow."

Her brown eyes widened, and opened her mouth, but said nothing and turned around, storming out of the room in anger.

I hope this plan works and they find out information, Chaor thought to himself.

The red-haired girl walked around the Underworld, exploring new places and seeing new sights and Creatures. What seemed to really spark her interest was a tower that stood very tall and high. It looked very Gothic, being dark black and pointed ends once it reached the sky. It had many tall, red windows, as if they were stained with blood.  
Elfriede found herself walking towards it, wondering who could live there, and what they do there. It wasn't as great as the Underworld palace, but it was very impressive. As she got closer and closer, the larger it became. Besides the tower was a tiled path, which not very many Creatures walked upon.  
"Then I guess I'll be the only one," she said to herself as she took a step on it.  
She found herself almost walking up the enormous stairs, but suddenly stopped.  
"Maybe they don't like visitors," she said to herself again, "That's why no one's here. I should be heading back anyway. Who knows when Chaor will want to see me in his quarters."  
She turned around and started walking on the crooked tile floor.

"My lord," said a white, female Creature, in the darkness.  
"Yes? What is it?"  
"I saw an unfamiliar Creature walking by Gothos Tower. Perhaps a spy from Chaor."  
". . . . Very interesting."  
"Will you see to it, my lord?"  
"Of course."

With a flap of his wings, the Creature shoved the massive chair backward and stood. The light which shone through the window shone the upper torso of a female Danian on the chessboard.  
He turned around and walked to where the white Creature stood in the darkness. They both walked out of the room together out into the light.  
Skithia dusted off a feather off of her shoulder, and as they arrived at the window, she pointed to the human-looking Creature, walking away from the tower.  
"That's the Creature," she said.  
He looked very carefully at her, rubbing his chin.

"Could it be a spy?" she asked.  
"No," he responded, "I know who it is."  
She stared at him.  
"It is not a spy from Chaor. Krekk spotted her in Chaor's headquarters. A human-like Creature, with red hair, and red Mugical markings on her skin."  
He paced about.  
"She was being questioned by Chaor."  
Skithia still stared at him.  
"She might not even come from the Underworld. . . ."

They then looked back out of the red window, seeing the Creature walk by down below.  
She had trouble walking among the tile, and cautiously made sure where she was stepping.

Once she was off the tile, she looked back at the tower in awe, and tripped.

The Creature rushed towards the balcony, and flew to where the girl lay.  
Skithia ran after him, and looked down at them, confused.

"My dear," the Creature pretended, "are you hurt?"  
"Me?" Elfriede asked, pointing to herself.  
"Of course," he said softly, "I saw you fall down and wanted to ask you if you were alright."  
"I'm fine," she blinked.  
"Well let me at least help you up," he said as he extended his teal-blue hand.  
She took the invitation and she got up.  
She looked directly into his red and black eyes.  
"Who are you?" she inquired.  
"Me? I'm just a common Underworlder who was just passing by," he said convincingly.  
Her yellow eyes relaxed and she smiled.  
"May I ask where you come from?" he asked.  
"Oh," she said solemnly, looking down, "I don't remember."  
"You mean you don't remember where you come from? But that can't be possible!"  
"It is. All I remember is I was found in a river and my name is Elfriede."  
"I see."  
He sneered.  
I can really use her, he thought to himself.

"If there is anything wrong," he said to her, "you can always come to Gothos Tower and I can help you." He pointed to the tower.  
She smiled at him.  
"Thank you very much. I would like to stay longer, but I'm afraid I must go now," she said in a warm tone.  
"That's alright. But I'll always be there if you need me."  
She waved good-bye to him, and he stood there, staring at her, smiling.

Once she was out of sight, he looked again to make sure if she was gone, and casually walked towards the stairs. He stopped in front of the stairs, and looked behind him to make sure that she didn't come back.  
He flapped his wings and flew onto the balcony, and Skithia moved back, making room for him to land.

"My lord," she started, "what were you doing?"  
The Creature snickered and laughed.  
"This is perfect!" he said contentedly.

Skithia blinked.

"Once we find out how powerful she can be," he said, "we can use her."

"And overthrow Chaor once and for all."


	9. Chapter 9: Procedure

CHAPTER 9: Procedure

The sound of falling rocks echoed from the Overworld surface, and alerted a Creature dressed in a blue military uniform. He turned around to see that they only fell from a distance.  
"I'm not safe here," the Creature said to himself, "I must keep moving."  
He stood up from where he sat, and stared at his little camp set up behind large boulders. His white tent was torn apart from previous missions in the Mipedian desert, and he knew that it could not hold on much longer. However, the large stones protected his hideout from any wind that passed.  
The soldier peeked out from behind the boulders, and could not see signs of Creatures anywhere. He scanned his surroundings one more time, and just saw the same dirt and little stones for miles. He looked up again at the "sky" and he was sure that no Creature would come after him.  
He then heard more rocks crumble to the ground behind him.

"I might as well die in a fight then die here."

He jumped back down from the huge rock, and walked towards the torn tent. He grasped the old material and started to set it down.

Bizzz. Bizzzzz.

The scout gasped and turned around.

Bizzzz. Bizzzz. Buzzzz.

He hurriedly jumped and peeked over the boulder.

There, only a few feet away from his hideout, a deformed, dark brown Creature was limping. The Creature had two scrawny forearms, hanging out from its sides, and four spider-like legs that trotted along, and its battered, torn wings hung down as it dragged them along the dirt floor.  
The soldier stared. He never saw any Creature as as that. He wondered what it could have been. . . .  
"Where could it be heading?" he thought, as the Creature walked left from the hideout, in an unknown direction.  
But it seemed like this Creature knew where it was going.  
The blue scout looked into its eyes. They looked straight ahead, with determination.

Bizz. Bizz. Buzzzzz.

He jumped, and immediately stared at the wings. They twitched as they tried to get off of the ground.

Is this Creature sick? He thought.

Bizz. Bizz. Bizz.

He didn't know what to think. What is this Creature doing, this deformed, weak Creature?

Its antennae twitched, and the Creature stopped.  
It looked in the direction of the soldier.  
He froze in place and stared.

Then its antennae twitched more and it started to move in the direction that it was previously going in.

The scout looked on.

A. . . . Danian. . . ?

His immediate reaction took over him and he leapt out from behind the stones and drew his firearm.  
"DANIAN! Where are you going?!"

The Danian jumped and quickly attacked the soldier, shooting bright yellow lasers from its eyes.  
The Overworlder dodged it and returned the attack, shooting green lasers out from the battlegear, and it knocked over the weak Danian.  
He walked over towards the disgusting Creature as it trembled.

"Danian," said the Overworld scout gravely, "where were you headed? Was that a Hive Call? Why were your antennae all moving like that and yet you're alone?!"  
"My. . . . Queen. . . ."  
The soldier pointed the battlegear at him.  
"Yes, tell me now or else I will shoot."  
"Queen. . . . Illexia. . . . I. . . . will. . . . not. . . . fail. . . . you. . . ."  
The Overworlder raised an eyebrow.  
"I. . . . will. . . . get. . . . to. . . . the. . . . Nest. . . . of. . . . the. . . . Ances. . . ."  
Then the scout just realized. . . .  
. . . . Aszil is the new queen, so why would this Danian have a Hive Call and he's alone. . . . and he speaks of the old queen!  
"Alright, tell me now! Danian! What are you up to?!"

The Danian looked up at him with pale yellow eyes, and said, "Never."  
Then smoke came from its mouth and the soldier coughed and staggered backwards. The Danian quickly got up and shot an attack at the soldier. He missed but when the smoke cleared, the soldier didn't see a sign of the Danian anywhere.

"Thank you for the information," the Overworld leader told the kneeling scout, "leave now."  
The soldier nodded, turned around and walked down the hall, Maxxor still staring with intense orange eyes.  
"Maxxor!" Intress called from behind him.  
"Intress," he said gravely, as he turned around. They're eyes met, and she know something was wrong.  
"We need to hold a meeting with the advisors, fast!" he ordered. The feline stood there, bewildered.  
"I said GO!" he ordered, and she quickly turned around and started sprinting.

He stared out through the window, out into the night sky painted with stars, and the city below.  
"All of it rests on my shoulders," he said to himself, "I don't know what to do."

In the meeting room, Maxxor sat at a large wooden table, with the group of his advisors also seated, talking to each other about irrelevant things. Intress walked in through the large white doors, and they shut behind her. She sat next to Maxxor, and as she looked at him with worry, he paid no attention to her, and stared off into the distance with anger and confusion.  
Then, he looked at Intress, wanting to start.  
She stood up.  
"Alright everyone I need your attention!" Intress yelled over the talking Creatures.  
They all were silent, and turned towards her and the Overworld leader.

"Everyone, listen," Maxxor said as he stood, looking around at all of his advisors. He stared at the seat where Tangath once sat. He then turned straight, and started, "I have news from an Overworld scout that was on a mission in the Underworld, and he encountered a strange-looking Danian, that was very deformed and weak, that was heading somewhere unknown in the Underworld. It was alone, and yet it was responding to a Hive Call."  
Everyone gasped and started speaking to each other.  
"That's not all," Maxxor said, "this scout attacked the Danian, and it was calling Illexia the Queen. Now, we all know that Aszil was the new queen-!"  
"But the whereabouts of Illexia are unknown!" interrupted one of the Creatures.  
Intress' eyebrows narrowed. "Don't you interrupt the Overworld leader when he is-!"  
"Silence, Intress," Maxxor yelled. She looked at him dejectedly, and backed away.

"I don't know what this means. . . ." he started again, "But I know that the Danians are up to something. . . ." He thought of Raznus.  
"You don't mean-?" Intress asked.

"The creation," Maxxor said, looking down grimly.

A few of the advisors rejected the idea all at once, saying that there is no way that the Danians could have known of their secret.  
"Wrong!" Maxxor yelled, gnashing his teeth. "The creation resides in the Underworld! And I knew I couldn't trust Raznus here!" He threw his hands down on the table.  
"BRING ME MOMMARK!"

The green creature walked in, with two large guards by his side. The shoved him forward and closed the giant doors behind him. He didn't flinch, and was prepared to make a compromise with the Overworld leader.  
"Yes, Maxxor?" Mommark inquired.  
Maxxor hit the table hard with a fist, and Mommark almost jumped.  
"Mommark! When are you going to be finished with the creation?!"  
"I'm trying as hard as I can to make this one even more powerful, but it will take longer than expected."  
"What-?!" Maxxor yelled but stopped himself.  
Mommark stared at him solemnly with his green eye, and through the eye glass.

"I understand," Maxxor said at last, as Intress looked on at him with more confusion.

"I agree with you Mommark," he said, looking at him, and the creator smiled, always wanting to hear those words.  
"But. . . . just as long as this creation is more powerful. . . ." Maxxor said as he stared at Tangath's seat once more.

"But Maxxor!" Intress started, "What if this is another failure and then we have two powerful creations lost in Perim to worry about?"  
"Yes," Attacat agreed, "Even if this one is a success, what if it turns against the Overworld?"

All heads turned towards Mommark.  
He felt sweat drop from his forehead.  
"Well," he smiled nervously, ". . . . I. . . ."

Then he looked down despondently, "I don't know."

Then, the two doors opened again, and a little green Creature who was dressed nicely walked in. Many sighed and were irritated, murmuring, "not him."  
Mommark turned around to see who it was, and his eyes narrowed angrily as he started at the Creature walking towards the table. He also glared back at Mommark, exasperated by his presence.

"I myself will plant the bomb inside the creation," the caretaker suggested, "I will do so while Mommark is making the creation, and I will create a remote with a designator button so that once the job is finished, it will be destroyed."  
He smirked when Maxxor nodded with approval.

The creator clenched his teeth.

"My creations don't need to be destroyed!" Mommark yelled stridently, "I can control them!"  
"Sure," Bodal said, looking at him, "but these are for safety precautions."  
"But I need to have the remote, though!" he said while pointing to himself.  
The caretaker walked more towards the table, and looked at Maxxor.

He paused.  
"I'm going to give it to Maxxor because he is the ruler of the Overworld," Bodal simply stated.

Mommark groaned, still staring at him.

The stars still shown through the night sky, and the moon illuminated the strangely formed castle. Inside the laboratory, the green Creature dressed in violet adjusted his eye glass, still focused on the newest creation.  
"I just need a little bit more there. . . ." he said to himself as he carefully placed an organ inside of the creation.

He then heard a strange noise behind him.  
"Staluk, I told you not to interrupt me at any cost!" he said, still working.

The strange noise turned into footsteps, coming behind him.  
"STALUK I TOLD YOU-!"

He swiftly twisted around from his lab table.

In front of him, a large ice-blue Creature with a long, white beard stood, staring at the creator intensely with stern navy eyes.  
"NAJARIN?!" Mommark jumped as he stumbled back, falling back on the table and his creation.

He then remembered that Najarin's seat at the conference was empty.

"Do you think this is a good idea?" the old Muge inquired.  
The creator stared back up at the Muge, and got back up. He turned around, fixing the mess he made on the table.  
He said austerely, "I'm doing it under Maxxor's strict orders and for nothing else."  
The old Creature turned his head, still looking at the creator fix the creation, saying gravely, "I sense another purpose in your mind."

"You are wrong," Mommark stated quickly, without turning his head.  
Najarin looked intently at him.  
"I just want to make this creation to the other one."

Mommark then felt a wind pass him, and turned around.  
The window was wide open, and the Muge was gone.

"I see," Maxxor said, looking out of the window at the city below.  
"I think he is hiding something," Najarin affirmed, looking directly at Maxxor.  
"I know," he said, looking in the other direction, "but Mommark's plan is the only one we have, and Bodal can destroy it anytime."

"If Mommark possessed that remote in any way, the Overworld could be doomed," the old Muge warned.  
The Overworld leader turned around and gaped at Najarin as he walked to the balcony and flew.

He dashed to the balcony to see him off.

"I promise you," he said quietly, "Mommark will not get his hands on that remote."

The creator closed the window, staring gravely into the night sky.  
He walked back towards the table, and looked upon the unfinished creation.

"He did know. . . ." Mommark murmured to himself, "But I wonder how. . . ."  
He picked up the tools and started to work again.

"But it doesn't matter to me. . . ."

". . . . because I had already won."


	10. Chapter 10: Encounter

CHAPTER 10: Encounter

"Get up!" a voice called as miscellaneous battlegear were thrown upon the sleeping creation.  
Elfriede's yellow eyes slowly opened to see Takinom, irritated with hands on her hips. She leaned forward and said, "Get ready. We're going to Odille's castle today. Chaor's orders."  
The creation rubbed her eyes as she shoved the battlegear off of her and sat up. "Really. . . ?" she murmured softly.  
Takinom just stared at her.  
Elfriede slowly got off the bed. She was lucky to have a bed, Takinom thought, because she deserved to sleep in the bunks with the other soldiers.  
She blinked and suddenly Elfriede was staring up at her seriously, giving her a cold glare, saying nothing.  
Then Elfriede got up and went to her collection of battlegear, completely ignoring the ones that Takinom had previously thrown at her. She opened a safe and started packing into a large brown bag, carefully choosing what to bring.  
Takinom's eyes twitched. She couldn't wait any longer. They had to hurry and complete the mission that Chaor assigned to them earlier that morning.

"HURRY IT UP!" she yelled at Elfriede. "WE CAN'T AFFORD TO WASTE ANYMORE TIME-!"  
Elfriede turned around and glared at her again, and her Mugical markings suddenly glowed a bright red.  
Takinom couldn't fight the force which threw her harshly back onto the wall.

Elfriede still stared at her, not moving.  
"The battlegear I'm packing is really important," Elfriede said seriously, "It will help fighting the ghost and will test the powers inside the castle."  
The glow from her markings faded as the red-haired girl turned around and continued to pack battlegear into the bag.  
Takinom just looked up at her and blinked. How did she get that information?  
Maybe Chaor told her or she tricked him into telling her, she thought.

She gnashed her teeth as she defeated the barrier holding her onto the wall. She flew to the ground in front of Elfriede.  
The creation zipped up her bag and put it around her back.  
She turned around and walked past Takinom, looking straight ahead.  
"Let's go."

Takinom turned around angrily as Elfriede walked past her.  
"You can't order me around!" she said as she caught up with the creation.

Elfriede suddenly stopped.

"I'm sorry," she said softly as she looked apologetically at her.  
Takinom's eyes widened for a second.  
Elfriede then walked out into the hallway of the castle.

Takinom stared.  
"Why the sudden change. . . ?" she whispered to herself as she walked into the hallway as well.

Three massive vehicles motored across the Al Mipedim desert, leaving a long dust path behind them.  
In the first vehicle, multiple creatures were talking amongst each other. A large, wolf-like Underworlder General with white fur and brown streaks was talking casually with his comrades.  
"Are you sure no Mipedians will follow us?" one of them asked him.  
"I'm positive about it! We had a Mipedian reign before remember?" he said in his coarse voice. "They can't see us if we're invisible! Flip the switch!"  
The creatures nodded and raised the lever. The three vehicles turned invisible, one by one.

"Chaor once used this technique in an Overworld invasion, much like the one we previously went on," the wolf-like creature continued. "I didn't like the previous invasion too much. We got nothing accomplished!"  
"But at least we found out that we have a secret weapon," a creature sneered.  
"I'm not too sure about her," the General said gravely as he looked up in thought, "there's something wrong about this. She looks so. . . . different. Somewhat like a human. . . ."  
"But Rigbar! I thought you said you liked having her on our side!"  
"True," Rigbar said, "but still. . . . I have a feeling that she might turn against us. . . ."

Everyone fell silent.

"I Al Mipedim," Rigbar said, breaking the silence.  
"Why?"  
"I their leader, Ifla-"  
"Come in, Rigbar!" Takinom said from the crystal.  
Rigbar ran over and picked up the glass.  
"What is it?" he asked.  
"We spotted the castle. Follow us."  
The vehicle on the far right sped up to the front of the others, and took a sharp turn to the right, and the rest did as well.  
They drove towards the dirt, and the mysterious clouds surrounding an abandoned dark castle in the distance.

Takinom stared through the window at the distant castle. It was shaped bizarrely. The castle had many spiraling towers coming from the top of it. It was a dark black, and the windows were all broken or strangely grey. Shivers went up her and the other creatures' spines as they came closer to it. All except for Elfriede, who stared up at it in awe and wonder.  
The vehicles stopped in front of the castle, not too far from the shadow which the castle casted.  
"I wonder when this castle was made," Takinom said, still staring at the castle.  
She then looked at Elfriede, who couldn't keep her eyes off it.  
It seemed as if she never saw anything like it before.  
She looked at the creatures around her. She wasn't an Underworlder for sure, but she was too different to be a creature, and definitely not a human with those Mugical markings. But maybe it's an altered human who had no memory? But she thinks like a creature and acts like one. . . .  
"Are you sure you don't remember anything?" Takinom inquired, walked towards her.  
She woke up from her gaze and looked perplexed at Takinom.  
"Remember what?"  
Takinom gave her a glare.  
"Your past. . . ."  
"Oh," Elfriede realized, looking down.

"No, I don't," she said finally, looking back up at Takinom sincerely.  
"Well-!" Takinom stopped herself.  
She turned around and said to her team, "Let's go."  
They nodded and climbed the ladder.

They felt the cold breeze as they all exited the vehicles. This was very unusual for Al Mipedim. The ice cold wind made them feel uneasy, and some wanted to stay inside the vehicle.  
"No," Rigbar said, "We need to find out what's inside that castle if we want to know if it's related to the Cothica!"  
They all looked down and obeyed the orders.

There was no noise coming from inside the castle. A few who heard the rumors that the Mipedians said that anyone who went in there was brutally *** made it seem even more eerie.

Elfriede was the first of all the creatures gathered to head towards the large black doors of the castle. She thought she spotted a small figure as the doors seemed to close as they approached the castle.

She stopped.

Takinom shook.  
"Elfriede, what's wrong?" she asked nervously.

"I thought I saw a human go inside the castle."  
They all froze.

"A human?" Takinom asked. "Are you sure?"  
The creation didn't say anything and continued to head towards the doors as they became larger and they were so enormous, even a warbeast could fit inside.  
The Underworlders looked up at the castle, wondering what lied inside. The wind blew more harshly than before, and a few wanted to turn around.  
Rigbar, at the end of the party, said, "Don't turn back now, soldiers. This may be our chance of being the most powerful tribe in Perim! And. . . ."  
He looked at Elfriede in the front, staring up at the castle curiously.  
". . . .maybe being able to prevent our death as well. . . ."

Takinom looked on as the creation walked towards the castle, while everyone else had stopped.

She touched the doors.

Nothing happened.

They all sighed in relief.

Elfriede turned around and set down her bag.  
"Can you open them with your weapons?" Takinom inquired.

She closed her bag, and stood up.  
"Use the cannons!" she ordered to the squad. "One for each door!"

The red soldiers brought out the cannons from the vehicles, and positioned them at each door.  
"FIRE!" yelled Rigbar as the cannons blasted at the two doors.

The doors rattled and shook, but no effect.

Then they slowly creaked open.

Takinom and Elfriede stared at each other.  
The doors were not destroyed. Not even a dent was made on them. And yet they had opened.

The red soldiers stared at the entrance of the castle. It was extremely dark inside, and the cobwebs on the antique furniture made it even more creepy. It was like nothing any Mipedian could have made. It looked more like Gothos Tower.

Even Rigbar gaped, and took a few steps back.

"I think it's a trap," Takinom said as she placed her hands on her hips, staring suspiciously into the entrance of the castle. Elfriede said nothing and went to her bag and brought out a large firearm. She also got out a bag and started to handcraft a bullet.  
Once it was prepared, she placed it in the firearm, and Takinom moved out of her way as she knelt in position, ready to fire.  
Her yellow eyes narrowed, and pulled the trigger.

The bullet entered the castle at a high speed, and was destroyed before it could reach the wall.

Everyone stared at the scene wide-eyed.

Takinom walked towards the red-haired girl as she set down her firearm and went over towards her bag for new bullets.  
"What was that bullet made out of?" Takinom asked.  
"Dractyl scales that I got from H'earring. Luckily he gave them to me," she replied, still looking for the new bullets.  
"Why?"  
She started to place the new bullets into the firearm.  
"If any life form enters in there, it will die."

"Oh," Takinom said as Elfriede knelt in position again, staring at the far end of the wall.  
"Then use a different bullet," Takinom suggested.  
"That's what I had planned," Elfriede responded, "This one is made out of steel."  
BANG!

The bullet crashed inside, making a large dent in the wall.  
It wasn't destroyed.

Takinom looked at the ground. She picked up a rock and threw it inside.  
It bounced onto the tile, until it clattered then stopped.

"Are you sure if just life forms are destroyed?" Takinom asked.  
"I'll try with Dractyl scales again," Elfriede decided.  
She got out the same bag she did previously and handcrafted another bullet.

She shot it in again.

This time, many strings caught around it and cut it into many pieces. It fell to the floor and then disappeared.

"Honestly," a voice came from inside.

Takinom and Elfriede's eyes widened in shock.

"Who's there?!" Takinom yelled as everyone stayed on their guard.

"Even when I open the door for you, you still continue to make such racket."

"Who's there?" Takinom yelled again.

"Who's there?" the voice parroted.

Takinom 's eyebrows narrowed.  
Multiple lasers came from her hand and blasted inside the castle.

"It would take way more than that to harm me."

"Who are you?" Elfriede asked cursiously.

Suddenly, a pale blue Mipedian with long flowing silver hair and yellow eyes came out from behind the opened doors.  
She was very beautiful and was wearing a purple dress with purple and pink roses, and a scar under her left eye.

"My name is. . . . Odille."


	11. Chapter 11: Resolution

CHAPTER 11: Resolution

"And, what IF Takinom and Elfriede don't come back from their mission?" the Underworld ruler inquired, looking at Khybon.  
"Hmm, I think it is a good idea to have a spy to get more information about this 'Odille' and the dark castle," he replied in calm.  
"I've already sent H'earring to Al Mipedim," Chaor countered.  
"Yes, but, I had a call from one of the squad members, reporting that a human has went in there."  
"A human? He's probably already dead."  
"However, his Earth side is still alive, no matter what."  
"What are you suggesting then? Because creatures can't go to Earth."  
"I have a spy," he said as he stood aside and pointed his drill towards the two grand doors, which slowly opened, and an overweight man dressed in a blue uniform came in, escorted by two red Underworld guards. His badge reflected in the light, and smoke started to fill the room.  
He stood before Chaor on his throne, and the two guards turned around and exited out the doors as they shut again.  
He puffed out smoke, asking, "What shall I do for you, your honor?"  
Chaor looked at Khybon.  
"My lord," Khybon announced, "let me introduce you. This is. . . . Officer. . . . uh. . . ."

"Officer Thomas," the man corrected.

"I see," Chaor started to chuckle, "Great idea Khybon! I really do underestimate your ability sometimes!"  
Khybon's eyes narrowed at the remark, but continued, "He is at your orders, sir."

Chaor stared at the Officer, and slowly demanded, "You are going to persuade a human into giving information about a castle and a creature named Odille. And in return you can have any scan that you wish."  
Officer Thomas wondered about this to himself, as he always did, before making deals with creatures.  
He finally made the conclusion, "Alright. I'll do it. But I have no idea who this human is, though."  
Khybon said, "One of my squad members told me that he had spiky brown hair, average for a human size, and wearing red and blue."  
"That's not enough information! I need his name, his location on Earth, or at least his codename!"  
"That's the only information that we know!" Chaor bellowed. "If you want more information, go to that Chaotic place and find out who he is!" he said, pointing to the side.

The Officer could do nothing but stare, and his eyebrows narrowed.  
"Fine," replied Officer Thomas, "I will go there and find out who he is."  
"Report back to us if you have any information," Chaor ordered. "And DO NOT speak of this to anyone. If you do, there will be a harsher punishment than not letting you have any scans."  
"I understand, my lord," the Officer replied as he pushed the red button on his scanner, enveloping in blue as he disappeared.

Chaor looked back at Khybon.  
"Can we trust him?" Chaor asked.  
"I've heard of him before. Don't worry Chaor, I heard that he'll do anything for rare scans."  
"Well what you heard had better be true!" he said, looking back towards the doors. "I hope you're right, and he won't betray us and tell another tribe."

At the Port Court, the Officer arrived on the platform, and walked off towards the tables. His ice-blue eyes looked down at his blue scanner. "Maybe I can find his codename," he murmured to himself, going through a list of players on it.  
"Hey! I want that card too!"  
"No way! How did you get your hands on that one?"  
"I won it against some lose who didn't even know how to play!"  
The Officer looked up to see who was making that racket. There was a large group of people sitting down at several tables, fighting, discussing, drinking, eating. They all had something in common.

Blue flames on their clothing.

"Agh, not those kids again," he thought to himself, "the Blue Flames. What a group. They're everywhere. They look around Perim trying to find more rare cards for themselves. And I their leader the most, that kid Drew Nitro. Who does he think he is? I hope that they will never find out my secret."  
He turned around and started walking to the other side of the Port Court, trying to find a place to get information about the human that Chaor ordered him to find out about.  
The Port Court was quite full that day, there were many people that he could interrogate. He scanned the tables. There were hardly any open spots.  
"How am I going to question someone?" he wondered.

Suddenly, his eyes laid upon a table with an empty seat.  
He walked up to it and found two teenagers sitting there. A boy and a girl. They didn't look like a couple, because they sat further away from each other than a normal one. The boy was skinny and very pale, and he had long, black hair and depressing, slate eyes. While the girl was wearing many neon and black colors, as well as a grey beanie, and had long black hair with some blue coloring in it. Her blue eyes stared at the screen.  
"Perfect," the Officer thought.

"Um, excuse me," he said to them, "but may I sit here?"  
"Sure," said the pale boy, as he smiled.  
The Officer sat down. "Boy, today is crowded isn't it?"  
They said nothing in reply, as they continued to watch the match on the screen. He looked at them, confused.  
"Gosh I'm hungry! Aren't you guys hungry too?" he tried again.  
The boy turned his head, "Um, yeah. I guess I kind of am."  
The girl paid no attention and watched the screen.  
"Well let's order then!" said the Officer.  
The silver robot came up to the table and questioned, "What-would-you-like-to-order?"  
"A Heptadd hamburger, Frafdo fries, and a Siado soda," Officer Thomas ordered.  
"Uh, just a slice of Pyrithion Pizza please, and water," the boy softly added.  
"Processing-order—" the robot said in monotone as it flew away.  
"May, you didn't want to order anything?" the boy asked the girl.  
"No," she responded, "I already had something to eat before you came, but thanks."

They both then looked at the match. Officer Thomas decided to watch as well.  
"Oh nice attack, Raimusa!" cheered the Officer, "Hit him harder!"  
Raimusa then coded Garv.  
"Aww," said the teenagers sadly.  
The Officer gasped.  
"Uh, I meant, nice try. . . . Garv. He he."  
They still paid no attention to him and continued to watch.

It was down to the last creatures. Xaerv versus Maxxor.  
"I hope Megan wins!" said the girl.  
"Me too," the boy agreed.  
"Yeah! Woo-hoo! Go get her Megan! Yeah! Alright! Yayyyyyyyyyyy!" the Officer stood up and cheered.

They both looked at him strangely.  
"She's a good player," he said, smiling awkwardly. "She deserves to win."

Then Maxxor coded Xaerv with a Mugic.  
"Hooray!" yelled Officer Thomas.  
"Why are you so enthusiastic?" inquired the girl. "I thought you wanted Megan to win."  
He froze.  
"That's not Megan?" he asked in a high-pitched voice, still frozen.  
"Nope," she said, smiling.  
"Well that doesn't matter," said the boy, "it was a good match, anyway."  
"Yeah, indeed it was," said the Officer.  
"Oh. I guess we haven't introduced ourselves," the boy said, turning towards the Officer.

"Hi," he started, "My codename is LightofLuck, but my real name is Reikou Satou. This is my friend, May. Her codename is Cheshiregirl."  
"It is a pleasure to meet you both. My name is Ryan," he smiled, eyes closed.  
"That's great," said Reikou. "I'm just curious, but what's your codename?"

The Officer sweated and his eye twitched. He looked to the screen again at Megan who was crying and the other girl cheering.  
"Poor Megan. . . ." he said.  
"I guess he didn't hear me," Reikou thought.  
"Um, sir," he started again, louder, "I'm curious, but what is your codename?"  
"I forgot it," he replied quickly.  
"You can't forget your own codename!" May laughed.  
"Yes I can!" he said. "And I did. . . ."  
"Please, what is it? I wanna know!" the boy pleaded.  
"Alright, alright. I'll tell you," he said and then sighed. "My codename is Termin8er."

Shock ran across both of their faces.  
"I've heard of you!" Reikou said, coming closer, "Can I challenge you to a match? Please! You're a really awesome player and I really want to have a match against you!"  
"Ok. . . ." agreed the Officer, slowly, "Only if you can tell me about a boy who has spiky brown hair, average height, and normally wears red and blue."

Both May and Reikou thought about it for a while.  
"Hmm," said May finally, "Well I think Emma would know, because she hangs out with a guy with spiky hair."  
"Thank you!" he said happily, "What is her codename?"  
"It's SunshineFlower."

"Great!" he yelled as he got up, pushed in his chair and darted away from the table.

"Aw man, I wanted to play against him. Do you think that he will keep his promise?" Reikou asked May.  
May stared at the Officer as he was running with her blue eyes narrowed.  
"I don't know. There's something suspicious about him, but I can't point my finger on it."  
"But he is a policeman, after all."  
"Yeah, but still. . . ."

The Officer cheerily smiled as he brought out his blue scanner and started to E-Mail SunshineFlower, challenging her to a match.  
"I might actually find him!" he whispered to himself.

A teenage girl with two blonde braids resting on her shoulders dressed in a white dress walked towards the drome. She was smiling, glad that she could play against the Termin8er. She was so excited, she just recently scanned Agitos, and was dying to try him out.  
She arrived at the drome, and saw the overweight man standing there, back turned.

He looked behind to see her coming. She laughed.

"I've always wanted to play against the Termin8er!" she said cheerfully.

The Officer then brought out something from his pocket and quickly ran up to her with a grave expression on his face.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzttttttttttttt!

She then felt a sharp pain.

Then everything went black.


	12. Chapter 12: Investigation

CHAPTER 12: Investigation

Black faded to white. Her vision was blurred until all was clear.  
The blonde girl immediately sat up and rubbed her blue eyes. She couldn't remember the last thing that happened.  
Zzzzt. Zzzzzt.  
Oh yeah. Now she remembered. The Termin8er had challenged her to a match, and she went to the drome. And then he showed up. That's when everything went black.

But now she didn't know where she was. Her eyes scanned the room. She was in a bright white dome, and it was quite large, and in the middle of the room, were broken down debris, which looked like two screens, and scanner holders.  
"So, you're awake?" a voice asked from behind her.  
She turned around.  
The officer stood tall above her, looming over her.  
"You!" she yelled. "Where am I?!"  
"There's no need to yell, girl," he replied, "This is an abandoned drome. I've found this a few years ago. It's perfect for hiding when the time is necessary."  
She got up from the floor and sprinted towards the door.  
It wouldn't open, and she started pounding on the doors. The officer just stood there, staring at her calmly.  
She punched the doors harder.  
"LET ME OUT!" she called.  
Officer Thomas then walked towards her.  
"It's no use," he told her.  
She then turned towards him.  
"You! Let me out right now!" she screamed.  
He said nothing and pointed his pistol at her.

She cringed back in fear, and sweat came down from her forehead.

"What do you want with me. . . ?" she asked softly.

"I'm going to ask you a few questions," he said. "And if you refuse to answer or I suspect that you are lying, I will shoot." He closed his eyes and smiled.

Her face turned pale as he smiled at that last word.  
". . . . Alright. . . ." she managed to say, shaking.

"Alright," he said, coming closer to her, the gun still pointed at her head, "I'm looking for a spiky-haired human, and your friend said that I could come and talk to you. Are you friends with this human? His hair is brown, and he is average in height."  
"Well," she said nervously, eyes glued onto the gun, "I have a few friends that have spiky hair. . . ."  
He played around with the trigger. "And?"  
"Um. . . . there's my friend Jake. His hair is brown and it's spiky. And he's pretty average height. . . . I think."  
"Alright," said the officer. "What's his full name?"  
"Jacob Kurosawa."  
"Codename?"  
"Jake123."  
"Residence on Earth?"  
"Um, I actually don't know, but he says he's from a town in America called Duninton."  
"Thank you," the officer said, smiling sweetly. He lowered his gun.

"Now don't tell anyone else what happened here, or else I will take you here and lock you in here. . . . forever."  
She nodded her head while she shook at the thought of her being locked in that horrid place.  
Then he took a taser out, and she tried to run.  
His strong hand then caught onto her shoulder.

Her blue eyes widened.

Zzzzt. Zzzzt.

Then darkness.

Emma's eyes came into focus. She saw all the screens with creatures battling each other, and many people walking around, white tables, and robots serving people at the tables.  
She was at a white table herself, and she got up.

"I hope I never hear of the Termin8er again!" she said to herself angrily.  
She brought out her brown scanner and deleted his request.

On Earth, Officer Thomas was on the computer, researching up somebody who committed a felony. His blue scanner beeped.  
"Oh, just on time! This is boring!" he said to himself cheerfully.  
He picked it up and pressed the red button.  
All the memories swirled in a spiral in a mist of blue.

He needed to go.

He packed his things, and wasn't sure if he had everything. He wanted to get more suitcases, but he knew that he didn't have the time to go shopping. He got stacks of papers after stacks after stacks, and piled in the only suitcases that he had. He got out the silver briefcase out from under his bed, and packed his baton, gun, taser and the rest of his weapons. He shut it tightly, and looked around to see if there's anything else that he needed to do.  
He went to the computer and researched the town called Duninton. He had never heard of this town before, and he hoped that it wasn't on the other side of the country. He typed it in the search engine, and found that it was only two states away from his. He smiled and printed out directions. Luckily it wasn't very far, but it's going to be a road trip for a few days. He then grabbed the phone. He had to call the real estate, and he told them that he wanted to sell his house.  
He got in his car, and he made sure that he had everything. He then opened the garage door, and drove down the cement driveway onto the old crackly pavement. He speeded to his office in the city.  
Once he got to the building, he parked his car in the front of the parking lot, and he walked in the building.  
He walked up the halls, and he saw his fellow police officers. He knew that he will never be seeing them again. But then again he didn't care.  
Then he walked to his boss's office, and the door was closed. He couldn't see inside, because of the blurry glass.  
"Where's boss?" asked Officer Thomas to a person standing near him.  
"He's on lunch break," he replied.  
Thomas rolled his eyes. He had no time to wait for him to come back.  
He grabbed a piece of lined paper and a black pen, and wrote on it quickly.  
He then slipped the paper under the door.

The paper came from under the door and it said, "I QUIT –Officer Thomas" in sloppy handwriting.

By the time the boss came and saw the note, the Officer was already on the road.  
Officer Thomas grinned widely as he drove, and lit a cigarette and placed it in his mouth. He bit it harshly with his teeth.

"Off to Duninton," he said happily to himself, as he sped along the road.

Reikou and May were still sitting at the Port Court, and they were staring at the officer's plate. He had never come back like he promised. Reikou was wondering when he would.  
"Hey May," Reikou said, "Do you think Ryan will ever come back? I really want to battle him."  
May adjusted her violet , and said, "I don't want to see him ever again."  
"Oh you're just jealous because there's somebody better than you!" he laughed and pointed at her.  
"No!" she said angrily and shook her head. "There's something weird about him. Did you see the way he acted during the match?"  
"Yeah, I guess. . . ." he said as he trailed off, looking down solemnly in the other direction, not looking at May.

There was a silence.

"Reikou, what's wrong?" May inquired gently.  
"Before I ported here I was at the hospital."  
"And?"  
"And they said there was no luck of curing my disease."

May covered her mouth and gasped in surprise. She honestly thought there was a way that it could be cured.  
He did not look at her, and kept his grey eyes on the floor sadly.

"Don't worry, Reikou," May said after another long silence.  
He brought his eyes up to her in surprise.  
She smiled at him.  
"Your codename is LightofLuck. Don't give up!" she said cheerfully, giving him a thumbs up.  
"Thanks," he said, his mood unchanged.  
May looked at him worriedly as he got up from the table.  
"I need to port out," he said. "I'm tired."  
"Oh. . . . okay. . . ." May said softly.

He walked over towards the port center, and May watched him be covered in blue numbers and letters. He did not look at her at all when he left, just keeping his eyes solid on the ground.

I hope he will come back, she thought. She didn't want him to go while he was on Earth. She wishes that she knew where he lived on Earth, so that she could come and visit him. But it would be weird as well, because what would his parents think? She is just some stranger to him on Earth.  
She buried her head in her arms on the table. She was so worried. Every time Reikou ports out, she is worried that he might never come back.

Reikou dressed in his pajamas, and he got into his bed. He turned onto his side, and he thought about what May said.

Then tears poured out from his eyes.


	13. Chapter 13: Breakthrough

CHAPTER 13: Breakthrough

"Odille. . . ."  
Elfriede rolled this name on her tongue, while staring at the fascinating Mipedian ghost that stood before them.  
She then turned to her head to look at Takinom, whose facial expression was full of anger and determination.  
"ATTACK!" the Underworld lieutenant ordered without hesitation.  
The army of red soldiers charged towards the castle, blasting their battlegear where the doors opened for them. They ran past Elfriede and Takinom, and Rigbar halted his squad. He knew there was something wrong, or else the Mipedian girl would have run away in fear of the powerful Underworld might. His green eyes narrowed in suspicion as he explained this to his colleagues.  
Takinom looked back, and realized that Rigbar had halted his group.  
He shouted to her, "Don't let them enter that castle!"  
"Wha-?" she asked quickly, but looked at the army in surprise rushing towards the castle to see the attacks going through the Mipedian as she stood there with a smile on her face.  
The Underworlder soldiers had already entered the castle and were trying to the ghost.  
Elfriede looked at Takinom in shock. "You mean that you didn't order them not to enter the castle?"  
"DO NOT ENTER THE CASTLE!" Takinom ordered at the top of her lungs.

But it was too late.

Blood shed everywhere, as the soldiers had their limbs brutally torn apart, and disappearing once they came into contact to the dark checkered floor. Some soldiers tried to attack Odille directly, but she did not even look up once they came close to her. They all exploded from within, and no blood made a mark on her.  
"Grah!" yelled one of the soldiers at the border of the castle. "I'll get you!"  
He blasted with all of his might at Odille, and dashed towards her, still firing.

"It's useless," she whispered under her breath.  
His green eyes widened as he felt sharp pain all over his body. And yet, he continued to pursue her, and as he almost came into contact with her, she swiftly moved to the side as a rope came from the ceiling grabbed him from the neck and yanked him up harshly.  
He struggled until his neck cracked.  
The ghost looked up at him with disinterest, simply reminding her of one creature that was like him who could enter the castle for a longer period of time unlike his colleagues.

Takinom and Elfriede shook in horror as they watched the soldiers' painful deaths.  
The Underworld lieutenant's eyebrows narrowed in anger.  
"ODILLE!" she yelled to the ghost. "Why don't you come out of that castle and fight us?"  
The Mipedian looked at her, then looked down solemnly and shook her head.  
"I can't," she said. "Because it's part of the curse."

Takinom then looked at the rest of the soldiers trying the blast her within the castle gravely.  
"PULL OUT OF THE CASTLE!" she ordered.  
The rest of the soldiers who heard her tried to run out of the castle, but they soon perished.  
Although, few made it, but some of their limbs were missing or broken.

Takinom gnashed her teeth.  
"Why do you everyone who enters your castle?!" she yelled at Odille.  
"Why did you attack the castle?" Odille asked simply.

"It was the order of our leader!"  
"The curse is what everyone who enters."

Takinom bit her . She didn't know what to do.  
Elfriede stared at Odille in curiosity.

"What is Odille?" she asked Takinom.  
She looked back at Elfriede in surprise.

"You don't know what a Mipedian is?" Takinom asked her.

She stared at this mysterious red-haired creature. How could she not know what a Mipedian was? Maybe she actually isn't a spy after all. But how could she have wound up in the Underworld. . . ?

"What are you?" Odille asked, looking at Elfriede.  
"I am an Underworlder-!"  
The creation was cut off by Takinom, covering her mouth with her yellow hands.  
She looked at the remaining soldiers still fighting.  
"RETREAT!"

Elfriede broke away from Takinom's grasp, asking, "Why are we retreating?!"  
Odille smirked and narrowed her yellow eyes in amusement.  
"Do you give up so early?" the Mipedian asked.  
"Heh," Takinom smirked back, "If you can't leave the castle, then we can come back anytime we please."

Elfriede's yellow eyes burned in anger and surprise.  
"We don't have to wait!" she screamed at Takinom. "We can beat her now!"

The creation dashed towards the castle.  
"NO!" screamed Takinom as she put her arm out. "WAIT!"

The two yellow eyes met in determination, preparing to fight.

Elfriede felt a tight pull on her arm once she almost made it to the castle.  
"Don't do it!" Takinom yelled as she tried to pull her back.  
"No! I can beat her!"  
"Don't take any chances-!"

The creation pulled her arm away from Takinom's, and fell face forward onto the checkered floor in the castle.

A shock ran through Takinom and the Underworld army.

Elfriede quickly lifted her head up in surprise. Then she looked back at Takinom, who had a worried look on her face.  
She then turned her head up at the Mipedian girl.

Her malicious pale yellow eyes glowed.  
"I'm sorry," Odille said, "You are going to leave."

Elfriede shut her eyes tight, expecting something horrid to happen to her like her fellow Underworlders.  
She thought about her life.  
Her past.

Alata.

She quickly opened them, and nothing happened.

Odille's glowing eyes slowly widened in astonishment.

Why didn't this creature die?

She looked at this red-haired creature in terror. Elfriede slowly got up, and the Mugical markings on her arms and under her eyes started to glow.

What. . . . was she. . . ?

The Mipedian started to float backwards, her eyes twitching as the creation came towards her, not even looking at her, but at the ground where the blood of her soldiers once spread.

She then looked up at Odille, her yellow eyes shining from the glowing Mugical marks under them.

"Hmm, I wonder why I didn't die?" Elfriede asked curiously to herself, checking if her limbs were still attached.

She brought out her arms and blasted an attack at Odille.

The Mipedian rapidly floated upwards, dodging the attack, and sent another one back at the creation in midair.  
Elfriede sprinted towards her, and jumped on a table, and then flew closer towards Odille, blasting more attacks. The Mipedian dodged them all, dashing to the left in the air hurriedly.

Elfriede then fell towards the checkered tiles, preparing to land.

But then the scene faded from the dark castle into something else.

Rivers flowing of blood, skulls spread across the sky as if they were clouds, many dead trees.  
The creation stared down in awe as she continued to fall down, about to land on dry grass.

What is this place?

Once all of her force was placed on the ground, she quickly got up and looked around for Odille.  
The sky was painted in crimson.  
She looked at the horrid landscape in front of her.

Not only were there dead trees missing their leaves, but the rocks were miniature skulls, just like the ones in the sky.  
This land was vast, and it seemed that there was no end to it.

The river.

The river of blood.

She had fell into it once.

The creation's eyes widened as she remembered a river of blood, just as this one. She remembered seeing nothing but crimson, the harsh water choking her, filling up in her lungs as her arms tried to get up to the surface.

Then she spotted a bright violet figure in the sky.

The figure swiftly moved its arms in different directions as multiple knifes and other things magically appeared in the sky and dove downwards at something.

Elfriede ran as fast as she could towards Odille's direction. Nothing but blurs of crimson and dark brown.

The two enormous black doors closed right in front of Takinom and the squads. The Underworld lieutenant flew high into the air, and in fury, turned around to the army.  
"BLAST THEM OPEN!"

The cannons and other battlegear fired at the doors, and the ground trembled as the doors withheld the attacks.

Takinom stared at the doors once the firing ceased.  
She wondered if Elfriede can beat Odille.

The Mipedian found a indigo figure running below her. She moved her arms swiftly again, pointing this time towards Elfriede.  
The knives and other debris plunged towards the creation. She saw them coming in her direction, and blasted at them. Some disappeared while others remained, and she kept sprinting towards Odille, dodging them.  
She sent more attacks once there was an opening from the knives.  
Odille dodged them through the air, flying in different directions, making way for more knives.  
Then, Elfriede felt the world quake from beneath her.  
Blood geysers erupted from beneath her, but she quickly ran past them all.

The knives still flew towards her, and she leaped onto one of the branches of the dead trees and started making her way up. She reached the highest branch, and attacked the ground, flying high into the air at great speed.  
Odille moved her arms gracefully as skulls started to gather, floating in the sky, and their faces turned towards Elfriede.  
She continued attacking the ground, being airborne. She flew in Odille's direction, and the skulls plummeted towards her.  
Her Mugical markings glowed more as a shield barrier formed above her, and the skulls perished.  
The shield then got close to the Mipedian, and her eyes widened in terror.  
The barrier pushed against her, sending her high in the opposite direction.

The creation looked resolute, and continued attacking the ground with one hand, as she lifted up the other, blasting the knives that came terribly fast at her.

"Why are you attacking my castle?" the Mipedian questioned in fear, making barriers from Elfriede's attacks.

"Because we want the Cothica!" she yelled back at her, her Mugical markings glowing even brighter, creating another barrier around her.  
But she wasn't very clear on that, though. She wasn't sure what she was talking about because she's still confused about the Cothica.

She continued firing at Odille, blasting attacks weakening Odille's barriers.

"There is no Cothica here!" Odille yelled in reply as more knives came from behind her. "And I would never work for Underworlders and never can."

Elfriede's shield started to weaken from Odille's knives.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

They both turned their heads.  
The screaming sounded like it came from a young male's voice.

Elfriede suddenly looked down, still attacking the ground.

A human boy stood there bleeding in pain, screaming.

"Why isn't he dead yet. . . ?" Elfriede asked herself.

Odille looked at him despondently with sad golden eyes.

"Jake. . . ." she murmured sorrowfully.

Elfriede looked back up at Odille.  
"You know this human?"

The Mipedian looked back at her in anger.

"I WILL NEVER TELL YOU ANYTHING!"

More knives and skulls surrounded Odille, and attacked the creation.

Elfriede continued to attack the ground, but this time in a different direction, keeping away from the things attacking her.

She could see the fury burning in Odille's eyes.

Maybe she likes this human, Elfriede thought.

She blasted her attacks on the ground towards the human at a high speed.  
He was too much in pain to realize the different attacks coming from the creation.

Odille's eyes became dots in panic, and sent her skulls down at a higher speed.

They pushed him out of the way from Elfriede's attacks, sending him plunging into one of the dead trees.

Then the creation sent her attacks from her other hand at Odille, and the Mipedian quickly moved her hands in a circle formation as skulls and knives created a barrier.

Elfriede then felt a pain in her back and her attacks ceased.

Her head turned around as she saw Odille from behind her with knives flying in her direction.

The Underworld lieutenant banged on the doors for the last time with her hands.  
She walked towards her squad.  
"Contact Chaor," she ordered them.

The soldier in red closed to her brought out a crystal from his pouch.

Just then, a clank came from behind Takinom.  
She turned around to see that the doors had finally opened and Elfriede got hit by a devastating blast, making her fly outside of the doors and onto the hard brown dirt.

She slid across the dirt, making a wave of sand behind her.  
Takinom rushed towards the creation.

"What happened?" Takinom asked her.

Elfriede smirked and wiped the blood her face.

"Odille is strong," she said excitingly.

Takinom looked up back at the Mipedian in the castle.

Then the two enormous black doors shut in her face.

The Underworld lieutenant looked furiously at the doors.  
Elfriede got up and started to laugh.

Takinom just stared at her laughing.

"I've got enough information to beat Odille," she said, still laughing.


	14. Chapter 14: Misgiving

CHAPTER 14: Misgiving

In the laboratory, the cold gray walls reflected the bright shining lights coming from motion within the middle of the room. Sounds of drilling and flames echoed through the laboratory, and no other disruptions came from the creations, who patiently walked around the castle in waiting of their creator to return to finish. A large, brown creature who patrolled the hallway, entered the laboratory. The drilling and the flaming noises became louder, and he did not bother to close the heavy steel door behind him. He continued walking past scientific instruments of all sorts, staring at them dumbly with one eye. The cyclops then heard another noise come from the other side of the room, and he turned around.  
He saw a new invention that Mommark must have created. It had all kinds of wheels and balls attached to it, and its form looked alien to the creation. He smiled and spun the wheels around, which moved the balls in different directions. He hoarsely giggled to himself, continuing to spin the wheels and watching the balls move around.  
"ETTALA!" screamed a voice from the middle of the room.  
The brute quickly turned around to face the direction of the creator, almost knocking down the instrument.  
"Ettala! Don't mess around with that!"  
Ettala looked sadly at the instrument, and tried to fix it and put it back in its original position.  
Mommark sighed, and looked down at the metal table. His large green hand scratched his head and brushed a part of his crimson hair back.  
How can I make this creation more powerful than the previous one, he thought.  
He continued to look down at the metal table in thought as Ettala walked towards him, staring at him curiously.  
"Hmm," the creator thought aloud, touching his .  
Ettala's eye blinked plainly.

"Aha!" burst Mommark. "I know!"  
He smiled and began to work quickly on the table.

Red skies were painted over the Overworld capital. Many creatures watched as the sun went down, staring in awe at the many warm colors that surrounded it, slowly sinking into the ground.  
Within the castle, a little green creature quickly strode across the hallway, sunlight filtering in through the windows. He walked past the shadows and light, changing shades as he stared straight ahead.  
When he finally arrived at Maxxor's quarters, he came up towards the large brown doors, with two blue Overworld guards standing at their posts. Bodal walked further, and they stood before him, with their weapons crossed.  
"Don't you know who I am?" he exclaimed in anger, looking up at them with his hands and his waist.  
They said nothing, staring at him expressionless.  
"I am very close to Maxxor, and if you don't stand aside I'll-!"  
A burst came from the two brown doors, and the Overworld leader gave all three of them an icy glare from his golden eyes.

Bodal smiled and followed Maxxor inside.

"Bodal," said Maxxor, as they were both seated by the fireplace. His eyes did not meet the caretaker's, and gravely stared at the flames.  
"When are you going to implant the bomb?"  
"Once the body is part-finished, so that the bomb is secure," he replied.  
"How many remotes are you going to make?"  
"I'm only going to make one remote so that the bomb doesn't designate. Because if the creation joins another tribe, they wouldn't want it to be destroyed and would somehow try to get the remote if they found out and would try to designate the bomb inside the second one."  
The Overworld leader turned his head towards him.  
"Are you going to make a back-up and keep it a secret?"

Bodal looked down and sighed.  
"Even though I am a great secret-keeper, if the back-up gets stolen then the same thing could happen."

"Right when you finish the remote, give it to me immediately."

"I promise," Bodal said as his eyes closed.

The little green creature got up from his chair and exited the room, and as the guards closed the two brown doors, Maxxor looked up, covered in a dim yellow light coming from the window.  
He got up, and went towards the window.  
He looked down at Kiru City solemnly, casting down his yellow eyes. In the city, he saw all of the creatures, still staring at the sunset. What could happen to these creatures if he chose the wrong decision?

The doors slowly creaked open. He did not turn around.  
"Maxxor. . . ." a worried feline voice came from behind him.  
He still stared at the city.  
Intress came behind him, but gave him space.  
"What's wrong?" she asked. Maxxor has not spoken to her for a long time, keeping much he does a secret and always being upset most of the time.

"It's nothing," he said in a harsh tone as he turned around and walked past her, not giving her eye contact.  
She stared at him in surprise as he continued out the doors.  
She sighed and sat down, placing her hand on her forehead, knowing that there was nothing that could be done.

A loud thud and scampering in the dark hallway made the Overworld leader jump. A fireball formed in his hand as he turned from side to side, shifting his golden eyes. He then walked backwards, pointing his fireball directly in front of him.  
When nothing appeared, his fireball disappeared, and in fear, continued towards his room. The guards stood aside, letting him pass. He opened the white doors and saw his private quarters neatly cleaned. He then turned around and closed the white doors behind him. He turned around again.

"Good evening, Maxxor."  
A large fireball quickly flamed in his fist as his eyes widened and gnashed his teeth.  
The human who stood before him didn't even blink. He waited there patiently, staring at the Overworld leader with dark brown eyes beneath his glasses.  
His face kept calm and walked towards Maxxor.

"Excuse my presence, but I have direct orders from my master."

The flame disappeared in his fist, and his golden eyes narrowed.

"What do you want now?"

"My master needs a new scan of you. May I scan you in full heath? And may I ask you kindly if you have any new powers?"  
Maxxor gnashed his teeth again.

"Fine," he let out, irritated.  
Blue light and buzzing covered Maxxor as he waited there patiently, staring at the human.

The human smiled, pleased.

"Thank you for your time," he said as he was covered in blue numbers and letters as he disappeared.

Why does his butler always need to scan me, Maxxor thought. It's like they're watching me. . . .

He then turned around and opened the white doors, exiting his room. He walked on into the hallway.  
"Maxxor," Intress said, coming towards him. "Was it that butler again?"

"Yes," he admitted, looking down away from her.  
"Why can't you just refuse him or even destroy him?"  
He looked back at her.

"If I decline, he will tell his master that and he will tell the other tribes of the Overworld's plans. And if I destroy him, his master will somehow find out and will still tell the other tribes."

Intress looked down.  
"I wonder what the Blue Flames are up to."

"Well from what Kevin mentions is that they just want to be good at their little game."  
"But I worry that it could be more than just that."

A loud thud and scampering made the both of the jump.  
They both looked at each other in fear, and they kept on their guard preparing for whatever that was.

It was then quiet, and they both looked at each other again in question.  
The feline smiled, and the Overworld smiled back.  
"Pfft! You were so scared of a little noise!" teased Intress.  
"Well," combated Maxxor, "you were on your guard too!"

They laughed, and then stood there in the dark hallway in silence.

Maxxor pointed at Intress.  
"You're also so worried that a bunch of puny humans could decide the fate of the Overworld."  
She put her hands on her hips.  
"I'm serious! I don't trust that Drew boy! We've never seen him, and we're not even sure if he exists."  
His face then turned somber as well.

"You're right. But there is nothing we can do about it, in since if they do have any Overworld secrets, we can't risk them being lost to other tribes."

In a dark room during sunrise, two silhouettes shown, with the filtered light of the window from the blinds barely showing their faces. One was of a boy sitting patiently in a chair, and another was of a man kneeling down to the boy, presenting him a card on a plate.  
"I have obtained the new scan of Maxxor, my master," said the man, still kneeling.  
The boy smiled.  
"Thank you Kevin, you have done an excellent job. Can you raise the blinds? It's awfully dark in here."  
Kevin nodded and rose and walked towards the window.

The boy held the card in his pale, slender hand. His eyes ran across Maxxor's card art and his statistics.

"You have served me well, Maxxor," he said to the card.

Light began to fill the room, slowly illuminating the surroundings of the boy. It was a casual room, brown rug, white walls, and the chair in which he was sitting in had intricate designs of flames embroidered in the red wood.

"But you are not the creature that will make me the best in Chaotic."

The light then shown on the boy.  
Violet eyes shown from beneath of his dark brown bangs, and his pale skin contrasted his navy blue long sleeve shirt.

"Because I know that you are not the strongest creature in Perim."


	15. Chapter 15: Blue Flames Igniting

CHAPTER 15: Blue Flames Igniting

"My master," a servant spoke as he kneeled down, "I have transferred the new scan I acquired to your scanner."  
"Thank you, Kevin, you are dismissed."  
The butler nodded solemnly, and turned around, not to take a second glance at Drew though his glasses.

Drew stared at the scan on his brown scanner through his long, dark brown bangs. Before his violet eyes, was the Overworld leader.  
"You have served me well, Maxxor. But you are not the strongest creature in Perim," he spoke to his scanner.

From a distance, a girl wandered around the Port Court. The blonde walked past the group wearing clothes with blue or resembled blue fire.  
She stared at them in curiosity, and most of them were busy trading cards on their scanners, talking, or challenging each other to matches. It was strange, because it was like they claimed this spot for themselves.

Two guys who were sitting at one of the tables looked up to meet her blue eyes staring at their group.  
She quickly jumped and looked in the other direction and continued walking.

Who exactly are they? She thought.  
Emma has seen these guys there ever since she came to Chaotic, but she really hasn't heard of them too much from other players.  
They were always in the same spot, and it was a very far, isolated spot in the Port Court. They had their own tables, around seven to be exact. However, some brought their own chairs from their homes when they ported there, and some even sat on top of the tables.  
She then turned her head from the group.

". . . . the Blue Flames. . . ."  
Emma turned her head around again, to a group of girls sitting at a table behind her.

"I've heard," says a girl with short red hair and revealing clothes, "that the leader is almost unbeatable, because he has so many scans. Especially of Overworlders."  
A brown-haired girl leans in and says, "I wonder how he got them in the first place. . . ."  
"I've heard that he has a butler who does everything for him."  
"That's nonsense! We've never seen a butler anywhere!"

They were then quiet for a moment, staring at the Blue Flames.  
They then sigh romantically.

"He's so hot. . . ." says one of the girls.  
Emma then turned her attention to the middle of the Blue Flames.  
A skinny pale boy with dark brown hair sat in the middle of the seven tables, on a light green chair that was not originally from the Port Court. He was talking to his scanner; perhaps he was communicating with someone on it.

"Yeah," another girl remarks, "I wish I could talk to him. But I'm too nervous to go into the group!"  
"Me too!"

Emma decided that she should leave, considering that she has been standing there for a while now.  
She continued walking towards the other tables, looking for an open spot. The Port Court was filled with people, watching many matches on the screens.  
The Blue Flames, she wondered to herself. Is that even a real group? If they are, then they must be really pompous if they want to be the best at Chaotic. . . .

She walked on, towards the transport center, where she could look on the other side of the Port Court for an open table.

As she walked past it, many blue numbers and letters uncovered people as they walked forth.  
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of spiky brown hair.

She turned around in shock, her blond braid flying, her blue eyes widening.

The kid limped from the transport center, his clothes looking almost soaked and partially ripped. He was unusually pale, and his blue eyes were looking dead ahead without any emotion. He sighed and harshly pulled a chair for himself and fell in it.

He looked up at the white ceiling with his mouth open. It looked like he was half-dead.

She was surprised to see Jake this way.

She didn't know what to do.

Flashes of the Officer went through her mind. Flashes of him zapping her with his taser, pointing a gun at her, asking for the whereabouts and about Jake. The threats of him locking her up in that abandoned drome forever. . . .  
She shook in horror.  
Why would a police officer be after him? She thought.

She also remembered that she promised him that she wouldn't tell anyone.

More flashes of the abandoned white room went through her mind. Her, being locked up there forever, dying of starvation, the police officer laughing manically at her, her Earth-self not knowing why she hasn't ported back yet, trying to go to Chaotic again, trying to get another account. . . .

I don't want to go to that drome again, she thought. I can't tell him about what happened.  
She took a deep breath, and walked towards Jake.

"Hey," she decided to say.  
He didn't look up at her.  
"Hey!" she tried again a bit louder.

His head shook and he looked up at her. He jumped a bit in shock, but just stared at her for a long while in fatigue.

"You look very nice today," he said.

She stared back at him in worry, because she wasn't wearing anything special that day. All she had on was her white sunflower patterned dress, and her hair was in her casual one braid, which lay on her shoulder.  
Whatever gang he's in must have drugged him, she thought. Or maybe he drugged himself, and I want to find out what's wrong with him, and why Officer Thomas wanted him so badly.

"Thanks," she replied, "So, um, do you want to battle me? I scanned this new Underworlder I wanted to try out."  
"Sur-" he stopped.

His face turned even more pale, and he looked out into the distance in pure shock, as if he remembered something that terrified him.

"What's wrong?" she asked in worry.  
"Um, I. . . . can't. Not today. Sorry."  
"Why?"  
"Well, um, I, haven't, got, much, practice. Yes, that's it. I haven't, practiced, in, a, while. And I have to go, my mom is waiting for me at home!"  
"But you have another you at hom-"  
"Gotta go! Bye!" he said in a rush as he ported home.

Emma eyed the place suspiciously where Jake just ported out from.  
She knows that he definitely did something wrong, but it was strange to her why he declined her challenge.  
Maybe he knows that if he accepted her challenge, then he might spill the beans if he played her, because he wasn't a very good secret-keeper.

But maybe she won't get a chance to see her friend ever again.

"But maybe that's for the best," she said to herself, "so I won't get in trouble."

She walked toward the empty table where Jake just sat.  
A robot buzzed by her.  
"Uh, can you come here please?" she raised her arm and yelled for it.  
The robot flew to her and she decided to order some food.

A few tables over, a girl called out to her friend, "Reikou!"  
The pale teen walked from the transport center towards her table.  
"I saved a seat for you!" she called out happily, showing him the seat.  
He sat down in it and smiled back at her calmly.  
"How do you feel?" she inquired.  
"I feel much better now that I'm in Chaotic," he replied, looking at her empty plate.  
"You didn't save me a piece?"  
"Oh, I'm sorry Reikou. I was so hungry. . . ."  
"It's ok," he laughed, "I was just kidding."

"So," she started, "are you up for a match?"  
"I would love to, May, but I have to play this person named Wilford."  
"Oh? What's his screenname?"  
"I don't know," he said, looking up in thought, "I can't remember because he challenged me personally."  
"Hmm, Wilford. . . . I've never heard of him," she said, finger on her chin, looking downwards.

"Um, excuse me, but are you Reikou Satou?" inquired a deep voice in front of them.  
"Indeed, I am," Reikou responded.  
May looked up at the guy.  
He was a slightly overweight man who had on a blue T-shirt. She couldn't help but notice his curly mustache as well.  
"Well then are you ready for our match?" he asked Reikou.  
"Yeah," he said, getting up from his chair.

They both walked away from the table, and May watched them go.  
Wilford turned around and looked at May.

He winked at her.  
"Hi," he said to her as he stared at her very tight black shirt.

They continued walking, and she grimaced at what he did. What a creep, she thought.

"Good luck on your match, Reikou!" she then called out to him.  
He smiled and waved back at her and continued towards the drome.

She saw them leave, knowing that Reikou will most likely win against that creep.

"Hey," she heard murmuring behind her, "isn't that guy a part of the Blue Flames?"  
"Yeah, I think so," another voice responded.

Blue Flames? She wondered as she looked up on their match screen.

I wonder who they are. . . .


End file.
